The “best friend” in romantic comedies can be the most unrewarding role.  Usually doting on the needs of the lead, the “best friend’s” wants and desires go unfulfilled (or just plain ignored).  She is a plot device given to voice the opinions of those around her.  In Warm Bodies, Analeigh Tipton (Crazy Stupid Love) pokes gentle fun at this stereotype – becoming increasingly indignant that her best friend (and STAR of the picture) Julie gets all the guys (even the undead ones), whilst she –Nora– remains forever alone.  Tipton injects the smaller-than-it-should-be role with just the right amount of verve and sarcastic edge.  Hopefully someday soon, Tipton will find herself the lead, accomplishing all her wants and desires to the encouraging but unfulfilled grin of her own ‘bestie’.

In the following interview with Tipton, she discusses playing the “best friend” role, what types of roles she looks for and her upcoming ‘lead’ film Two Night Stand.  For the full interview, hit the jump.

Here are some casting updates at a glance:

• Selena Gomez (Monte Carlo) has joined Parental Guidance Suggested, a rock-and-roll odyssey from writer/director Tim Garrick.
• Josh Gad (Love and Other Drugs) is the latest to join Shawn Levy’s The Internship, a comedic reunion of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.
• Miles Teller (Project X) and Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love) will star in Two Night Stand, a romantic comedy from Black List scribe Mark Hammer that will be the directorial debut of Max Nichols.
• Josh Hamilton (J. Edgar) is set to join Keri Russell in Dark Skies, a sci-fi horror picture from Priest director, Scott Charles Stewart.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

Opening this weekend is writer-director Whit Stillman‘s (Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco) first movie in thirteen years: Damsels in Distress.  Filled with the unique characters and dialogue that populate all of his works, Stillman’s latest film is about a group of college coeds (Greta Gerwig, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Carrie MacLemore, Adam Brody, and Analeigh Tipton) whose friendship is threatened by a series of romances, “including slick Charlie (Brody), dreamboat Xavier (Hugo Becker), the mad frat-pack of Frank (Ryan Metcalf), and Thor (Billy Magnussen) — who threaten their friendship and sanity.”  For more on the film, here’s the trailer.

At the recent Los Angeles press day, I got to speak with Analeigh Tipton and Hugo Becker.  We talked about trying to deliver Stillman’s unique dialogue, how familiar they were with his previous films when they got the roles, favorite movies and actors, karaoke, and you can also watch them impersonate Stillman giving them notes on their line readings.  Hit the jump to watch.

Today, we’re proud to premiere the poster for Whit Stillman‘s Damsels in Distress.  The film centers on a group of women in college whose friendship is strained when they become romantically entangled with a series of men.  Damsels is Stillman’s first film since 1998′s The Last Days of Disco, and I’m bummed that a last-minute schedule change at the Toronto International Film Festival caused me to miss it.  Thankfully, Steve said it was great and the film is set to hit theaters this spring where I’ll be sure to catch it.

Hit the jump to check out the poster and here’s Steve’s exclusive interview with Stillman on the film.  The film stars Greta Gerwig, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Carrie MacLemore, Analeigh Tipton, Hugo Becker, Ryan Metcalf, Billy Magnussen, and Adam Brody.  Damsels in Distress opens in limited release on April 6th.

A trio of young actors are in talks to join the cast of writer/director Jonathan Levine’s (50/50) zombie pic Warm Bodies. Variety reports that Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), and Cory Hardrict (Battle: Los Angeles) are all in line to join the cast which includes Nichoals Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry and recent addition John Malkovich. Hoult stars as R, an existentially tormented zombie who strikes up a friendship with the girlfriend (Palmer) of one of his victims. Franco will play Palmer’s boyfriend, who ends up leading the human resistance, Tipton will play Palmer’s best friend, and Hardrict will take on the role of one of Palmer’s dorky friends who becomes Malkovich’s right hand man.

Malkovich is in talks to star as the villain, a member of a group of humans who wall themselves inside a city known as the Green Zone. Corddry will play another zombie like R. Levin recently spoke to Steve quite a bit about the film, so if you missed it you can check out that interview here. The film itself is based on the novel of the same name by Isaac Marion.

Damsels in Distress (starring Greta Gerwig and Adam Brody), Goon (starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, and Liev Schreiber), Page Eight (starring Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, and Ralph Fiennes), and Violet & Daisy (starring Saoirse Ronan, Alexis Bledel, and James Gandolfini) are all playing at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.  We have images for these films.  We think you’d like to see them.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 – 18th.

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up the worldwide distribution rights to Whit Stillman’s new film Violet Wister’s Damsels in Distress.  Formerly titled just “Damsels in Distress“, the movie is first Stillman’s first picture since 1998′s The Last Days of Disco.  The comedy stars Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody, and Analeigh Tipton and centers on a group of young women who set out to revolutionize life at a grungy East Coast university.  I know fans of Stillman can’t wait to see the flick so hopefully SPC will announce a release date soon.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

The first stills from writer/director Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress have landed online.  For those of you keeping track at home, Damsels in Distress is Stillman’s first film since 1998′s The Last Days of Disco and tells the story of a group of style-obsessed girls who take in a new student (Greta Gerwig) with the intention of teaching her the ways of semi-helping people/actually ostracizing people at their college.  Although the project is currently without a release date, Gerwig recently discussed the film with Steve in an exclusive interview where she mentioned that it’s looking at a fall release.

Hit the jump to check out the stills.  In addition to Gerwig, Damsels also stars Adam Brody, Analeigh Tipton, Ryan Metcalf, and Caitlin Fitzgerald. [Update: The film company behind Damsels in Distress has requested that we remove the Damsels images.  Given our great respect for Stillman's work, we have complied.]

Warner Bros. has released the first image from director’s Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris) Crazy, Stupid, Love which features Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Jonah Bobo John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, Analeigh Tipton, Josh Groban, Liza Lapira, and Joey King.  The premise is Steve Carell has been living the dream life (good job, nice house, great kids) when he finds out his wife wants a divorce.  Since he’s been out of the dating scene for decades, he starts spending his time with a thirty something player (Ryan Gosling) and he becomes his wingman and protege.  As you might imagine, comedy ensues.

While many of you missed I Love You Phillip Morris, it’s a gem that deserves your time.  In addition, Ficarra and Requa wrote Bad Santa, so anyone thinking Crazy, Stupid, Love might be a cookie cutter Hollywood release, I think it’s safe to assume it won’t be.  Personally, I can’t wait to check this out.  I’d imagine a trailer will hit soon. Until then, hit the jump for the full synopsis and the image.

Analeigh Tipton doesn’t seem to be hurting too much from her loss on the 5^th season of America’s Next Top Model. Fresh off shooting a role in the Seth Rogen fueled, The Green Hornet, Tipton appears to be in final negotiations to land a role alongside Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone in the currently untitled marital crisis comedy being directed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (I Love You Phillip Morris).

According to Variety, the story centers on a father whose life unravels while he deals with spousal problems and tries to manage his relationship with his children. Tipton would be playing a babysitter who develops a crush on Carell’s character while his 13-year-old son lusts after her.

More images of Analeigh Tipton after the jump: