The Weinstein Company has released the first trailer for director John Wells’ (The Company Men) adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning play August: Osage County.  The story follows the women of a family whose lives have splintered in many directions until a crisis bring them back to their childhood home and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.  While a bit lighter in tone than the actual story, this trailer does a swell job of teasing the film’s absolutely terrific ensemble cast, led by a characteristically great Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in what could potentially be her best role in years.  Given the talent involved both onscreen and behind the scenes (Argo‘s George Clooney and Grant Heslov produce), this thing is a surefire Oscar contender that also promises delectable interplay amongst the film’s incredible ensemble.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margot Martindale, Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney, Juliette Lewis, Abigail Breslin, and Sam Shepard.  August: Osage County opens on November 8th.

A number of new posters have made their way online.  Briefly:

• White House Down – The new one-sheet for Roland Emmerich’s actioner puts stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx front and center following the latest trailer.  The film opens on June 28th.
• August: Osage County – The premiere poster for director John Wells’ adaptation of the stage play highlights the fantastic cast that includes Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, and Benedict Cumberbatch.  The film opens on November 8th.
• Nymphomaniac – The not-so-subtle first poster for Lars von Trier’s next film teases the pic’s subject of, well, sex.  The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, and Shia LaBeouf.
• The Bling Ring – The final poster for writer/director Sofia Coppola’s snapshot of the celebrity-obsessed showcases the film’s cast, which includes Emma Watson and Taissa Farmiga.  The film opens on June 14th.
• The Hangover Part III – The latest character poster for Todd Phillips’ trilogy closer features Ken Jeong’s Mr. Chow.  The film opens on May 24th.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.

It’s been less than a week since this year’s Oscars, but The Weinstein Company has already set fall release dates for four of next year’s contenders.  And with Meryl Streep in the mix, it’s safe to say that Harvey “Thanked More Than God” Weinstein’s chances are looking good.  So what’s on tap?  Check it out below:

• Fruitvale – This Sundance darling (read our review), the true story of a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who was shot to death in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2009, will open October 18.
• August: Osage County – A family comes together after their alcoholic patriarch goes missing in this adaptation of Tracy Lett’s comedic play, which is slated for November 8.
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – Idris Elba portrays Nelson Mandela in this film based on the South African president’s 1995 autobiography, scheduled for November 29.
• Grace of Monaco – Nicole Kidman steps into the shoes of the legendary Hollywood star who became a princess in this film, which opens on December 27.

Hit the jump for more on each of the movies, as well as their release dates.

The indie drama Trade of Innocents shines a spotlight on the horrific and brutal realities of child exploitation, all over the world. Alex (Dermot Mulroney) has recently moved to Southeast Asia with his wife, Claire (Mira Sorvino), so that he can investigate human trafficking while his wife volunteers in an aftercare shelter for rescued girls. Still struggling with their own grief after losing a child years earlier, they both become very passionate about restoring freedom and dignity to those who are directly affected by such atrocities.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Dermot Mulroney talked about how he came to the role, why the subject matter became so important to everyone involved, the research he did to bring his character to life, working with co-star Mira Sorvino, and how he hopes he film will raise awareness of such a critical issue, around the world. He also talked about his current role in August: Osage County, adapted from the Broadway play, his roles in the upcoming films Stoker (from director Chan-wook Park) and Jobs (about the life of Steve Jobs), whether he’d consider doing work on television, and how he’s more focused on acting right now than trying his hand at directing again. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Let’s take a look at some recent casting news, shall we?

• It looks like Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries) will be joining Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike) in The Dallas Buyer’s Club, a drama about the AIDS epidemic directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.).
• Ron Perlman (Hellboy) will join Savage Mutts, a criminal action thriller written and directed by Nika Agiashvili (Tbilisi, My City).
• Word has it that Jack Black and director Richard Linklater, who previously collaborated on School of Rock and the 2012 indie Bernie, will reunite for a bowling movie that may have been inspired by colorful PBA champion, Pete Weber.
• Finally, the ensemble cast of August: Osage County has added Julianne Nicholson (Kinsey) as well.  The film currently stars Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor and Dermot Mulroney.

Hit the jump for more on each casting note.

Some major casting announcements to make today.  Here they are in brief:

• Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) will join the stellar cast of John Wells’ August: Osage County, which already touts Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper among others, with George Clooney producing.
• Christian Slater (Broken Arrow) has been cast in Lars Von Trier’s pornographic duet, Nymphomaniac, two full-length features which will both be released in softcore and hardcore versions.  The pictures star Charlotte Gainsbourg in the title role along with Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard, Jamie Bell and Connie Nielsen.

Hit the jump for more info.

We’ve got a few casting stories to share this evening.  Briefly:

• The ridiculously talented Benedict Cumberbatch is set to join Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the drama adaptation August: Osage County.
• The Killing star Mireille Enos joins the testosterone-fueled thriller Ten with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sam Worthington.
• The Hunger Games star Alexander Ludwig has signed on for Peter Berg’s Navy SEAL drama Lone Survivor.

Hit the jump for more details.

Here’s today’s casting news in brief with details to follow:

• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has added Stephanie Leigh Schlund (The Last Song) to their list of tributes.  Schlund will star opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the Francis Lawrence-directed sequel.
• August: Osage County brings in Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) to join the family that already features Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis.
• Robin Wright (The Princess Bride) is being courted to star in A Most Wanted Man, an adaptation of the John le Carre novel scripted by Andrew Bovell and directed by Anton Corbijn.

Hit the jump for more details on each project.

We have a few new casting additions to share with you today.  Here they are in brief:

• Vanessa Hudgens (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) is the latest addition to Machete Kills, the sequel  directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Danny Trejo.
• William Hurt (The Incredible Hulk) will join Akiva Goldsman’s directorial debut, Winter’s Tale.  The adaptation of the Mark Helprin novel stars Colin Farrell and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay.
• Margo Martindale (Million Dollar Baby) joins the family in August: Osage County, based on the Tracy Letts play and starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Chris Cooper.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

By popular demand, our latest casting update:

• Josh Holloway will join Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, and more in the thriller Paranoia
• Abigail Breslin will star opposite Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

Hit the jump for details on both projects.

Some more casting news today to add to the busy day of casting that Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been having.  Here’s the news in brief:

• Juliette Lewis (The Other Sister) is in negotiations to join the family in August: Osage County, the dark comedy from The Weinstein Co. that stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
• Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) will join producer Pierre Morel’s European car heist flick, Overdrive, starring Karl Urban.

Hit the jump for more details on each project.

Today’s cast additions include two White House themed pictures for the price of one:

• James Woods (Casino) is in early negotiations to join Roland Emmerich’s White House Down, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx.
• Chris Cooper (American Beauty) is in talks to board the John Wells‘ adaptation of August: Osage County, with Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
• Cole Hauser (Good Will Hunting) has joined the Antoine Fuqua actioner, Olympus Has Fallen, opposite Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart.

Hit the jump for more details on each picture.

It’s been over a year since we last heard about the feature adaptation of the Pulitzer/Tony-winning play August: Osage County.  But with two stars like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts attached, you knew The Weinstein Co. would circle back to the project eventually once schedules could be aligned.  The studio and director John Wells (Company Men) are moving forward on August with a fall start date in mind.  Tracy Letts‘ play follows “the women of a family whose lives have splintered in many directions until a crisis bring them back to their childhood home and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.”  Streep will play the pill-popping matriarch; Roberts will play her daughter.  More after the jump:

Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep are in talks to star in an adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer and Tony award-winning play, August: Osage County. According to THR:

The play focuses on the buried pains and present conflicts of a family after its patriarch dies. Streep would take the role of the drug-addicted matriarch and Roberts that of the eldest daughter, whose estranged husband has had an affair with one of his students.

John Wells (The Company Men) will be directing the film from a screenplay by Letts and the plan is to shoot next summer.  When you think about it, it is kind of odd that it has taken this long to pair up the two powerhouse actresses.  You can hit the jump to read the full synopsis for August: Osage County.