According to Variety columnist Michael Fleming, unknown actor Hayden Christensen is very close to being announced as the new Anakin for Star Wars 2. Other reports say that Ryan Phillipe is currently his only competition for the role. However a mad man scooper by the name of Walter says that Phillipe has been cast in a different role. Christensen was in John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness and Fox Family Channel's Higher Ground TV series.