Zac Efron, Jason Sudeikis, Jude Law: New projects in Casting Net

JASON BATEMAN
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* Jason Bateman, Zac Efron, Goldie Hawn, Leslie Mann, Malin Akerman, and Jason Sudeikis are all in negotiations to star in the ensemble comedy This is Where I Leave You, author Jonathan Tropper's adaptation of his own novel about four grown siblings who return home to grieve their deceased father. Adam Shankman is attach to direct. [Deadline, Variety]

* Michelle Pfeiffer is in talks to play Robert DeNiro's wife in the dark comic thriller Malavita, about a mob family that moves to France under witness relocation, and falls back on old habits. Director Luc Besson adapted the script from Tony Benacquista's unfortunately titled book Badfellas. [Variety]

* Jude Law is being eyed to play silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks in a biopic about his equally famous wife, Mary Pickford. Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) is attached to play Pickford, with director Jennifer DeLia (Billy Bates) also producing with Julie Pacino (yup, the daughter of Al Pacino). [Forbes/Roger Friedman]

* Gillian Anderson will play Haley Joel Osment's mother in the sci-fi mystery I'll Follow You Down, which costars Rufus Sewell as Osment's missing scientist father, and Victor Garber as his sleuthing grandfather. Director Richie Mehta (Amal) penned the script. [Deadline]

* Saturday Night Live's Taran Killam is set for a very busy hiatus. Already signed for a supporting role in Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave towards the end of the summer, Mr. Cobie Smulders will also star opposite Amber Tamblyn in the comedy Growing Up (and Other Lies), directed by Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky (Humboldt County). Then Killam will co-star as the romantic rival to Happy Endings' Adam Pally in Killer Rebound Guy, which will serve as the feature directing debut for Funny or Die contributors Matt Villines and Osmany Rodriguez. [Variety]

* Parks and Recreations's Aubrey Plaza has joined the cast of the Shia LaBeouf romantic comedy The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman. She'll join Evan Rachel Wood, Rupert Grint, Melissa Leo, Til Schweiger, and Mads Mikkelsen. [Latino Review]

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