Casting Call: J.B. Smoove Serves THE DICTATOR; Rodrigo Santoro Learns WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING

Hollywood is quickly learning there is no comedy that won’t benefit from the motormouthed presence of J.B. Smoove.  According to THR, The Dictator is the latest film to catch on.  Sacha Baron Cohen stars as a despot who “risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.”  From the photos we’ve seen so far, the dictator looks to be another memorably ostentatious character from the man who gave us Borat.  Little is known about Smoove’s character other than the name, “Usher.”  Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, and Jason Mantzoukas also star in The Dictator, helmed by Borat/Bruno director Larry Charles.  Megan Fox and John C. Reilly are set for cameos.

Smoove will reprise the role of Leon Black for season eight of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which premieres July 10 on HBO.  The actor will next be seen theatrically in The Sitter (December 9) and We Bought a Zoo (December 23).  In an effort to conquer all screens, Smoove is launching an “original comedy website” under the name TheRuckus.com later this month.

Hit the jump for details on Rodrigo Santoro’s new role in What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

According to THR, Santoro will play Jennifer Lopez’s husband in the adaptation of the bestselling book that tells ladies everything they need to know about pregnancy.  The cast grows larger each day: Santoro, Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick, and Brooklyn Decker are confirmed; Chris Rock and Matthew Morrison are still in talks.  The script by Shauna Cross (Whip It) tracks several couples during the childbirth process.  Kirk Jones (Everybody’s Fine) will direct the production later this summer in Atlanta.