Casting Net: Jennifer Lawrence, Francis Lawrence join James Cameron for 'The Dive'

Jennifer Lawrence and Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence will be joining the James Cameron’s The Dive. The film will tell the real life story of husband and wife freedivers Francisco “Pipin” Ferraras and Audrey Mestre, who compete to travel as deep underwater as possible on just one breath. Lawrence is set to play Mestre, who died in her attempt to beat her own world record of 557.7 feet. Cameron filmed the real life tribute Ferraras paid to Mestre when he dove to that same depth. [The Wrap]

Mandy Patinkin (Homeland) is in final talks to lend his voice as Papa Smurf to the Sony Pictures Animations’ reboot of The Smurfs. Sony has already explored the franchise with its to live-action/animation Smurfs films. But this film is supposed to be the first fully animated venture by Sony. The movie will tell the origin story of the little blue people and their paternal leader, Papa Smurf. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Colin Hanks, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Tracy Letts, and singer Sky Ferreira have all joined the cast of Elvis & Nixon. The indie flick, starring Michael Shannon as Elvis, watches the singer head to Washington D.C. to meet President Richard Nixon (Kevin Spacey). Pettyfer willing be playing Jerry Schilling, the King’s best friend, while Hanks is cast as Nixon’s aide Egil Krogh. Knoxville will be portraying Elvis’ head of security and Ferreira will be debuting on screen as Schilling’s love interest. The film has been in the works since 2011, when originally, Eric Bana was cast as Nixon. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Italian actress Matilda Lutz has been given the lead in F. Javier Gutierrez‘s horror movie Rings, which will continue the story of the Paramount Ring franchise. The film will feature Samara, the antagonist from the original films, and a deadly videotape. However, Naomi Watts, from the original film, will not be a part of the project. [The Wrap]