Woody Allen picks Blanchett and Baldwin for next film

Courtesy of Brian Hamill/©MGM

Veteran film director Woody Allen on Monday announced an all-star cast for his next yet-to-be-titled project, led by Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, comedian Louis C.K. and actor Alec Baldwin.

Allen said the movie will be filmed this summer in New York and San Francisco - the first time the Oscar-winning director will use San Francisco as his backdrop since his directorial debut in 1969 with “Take The Money And Run.”

The new project also sees Allen, 76, return to American soil after filming his last three projects in London, Paris and Rome, picking up a screenplay Oscar for “Midnight In Paris.”

Although no plot details have emerged yet on the newest film, Allen’s cast represents a mixture of comedic and dramatic talent, such as “Happy-Go-Lucky” British actress Sally Hawkins, “Lost” actor Michael Emerson and “Green Lantern” star Peter Sarsgaard.

Allen has more than 40 films under his director’s belt over a career spanning six decades. He appears alongside Penelope Cruz and Jesse Eisenberg in his latest film, “To Rome With Love,” in U.S. theaters on June 22.

Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant