Young Actresses Vie for Brooke Shields Role in 'Endless Love' Remake (Exclusive)

Universal is hoping to find the object of its desire Friday when it begins testing actresses to star in Endless Love, its remake of the 1981 love story that starred Brooke Shields.

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Sources say that five actresses are flying to Hollywood to meet with director Shana Feste (Country Strong) and will read opposite up-and-coming Australian actor Brenton Thwaites. Thwaites has not been cast as the male lead but is well-liked by the director and the film's producers, Scott Stuber and Pam Abdy of Bluegrass Films, and Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage of Fake Empire. The meetings are to test chemistry between the leads.

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The actresses include Sarah Bolger, who recently played Princess Aurora in ABC’s cult hit fantasy Once Upon a Time; Olivia Cooke, who co-stars in A&E’s upcoming Carlton Cuse TV series Bates Motel; Sophie Lowe, an up-and-coming Australian actress who appeared in a horror movie called Roadkill and starred in a Down Under TV series titled The Slap; and Gabriella Wilde, who appeared in Paul W.S. Anderson’s Three Musketeers and will be seen in the upcoming remake of Carrie.

There was interest in Lilly Collins, best known for starring in Relativity’s Mirror Mirror as Snow White, but she will now be shooting Love, Rosie with Sam Claflin this spring and is not available.

Insiders say the studio will cast the lead roles with young, largely unknown actors, but bigger-name actors will be hired to play the parents.

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Love told the story of two teens' all-consuming love for each other. Things go wrong when the boy turns obsessive and concocts a plan to ingratiate himself with the girl’s family that involves setting her house on fire.

The 1981 movie helped make Shields a star and is remembered for its title song by Diana Ross.

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