Three first-time directors and a Brett Ratner did some casting today:

• Annette Benning and Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) are in negotiations to star opposite Al Pacino in Imagine, the directorial debut of writer Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love).
• Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Gillian Jacobs (Community) star as two opposites in a co-dependent friendship in Life Partners, the directorial debut of Susanna Fogel.  Adam Brody, Gabourey Sidibe, Abby Elliott, and Beth Dover co-star.
• Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis) is in negotiations for the female lead in Dracula. Luke Evans stars in Gary Shore‘s directorial debut.
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Chernobyl Diaries) landed the female lead in Ratner’s Hercules.  Dwayne Johnson plays the titular Greek hero.  Ian McShane and Joseph Fiennes co-star.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

CBS Films has released seven clips from Martin McDonagh‘s upcoming film Seven Psychopaths.  The film centers on a screenwriter (Colin Farrell) suffering writer’s block, who then gets drawn into the mischief of his two dog-napping friends (Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken) after they kidnap a pooch belonging to a psychotic gangster (Woody Harrelson).  I had an absolute blast with the flick when I saw it at TIFF, and found the movie to be painfully funny and incredibly clever.

Hit the jump to check out seven clips.  The film also stars Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, and Tom Waits.  Seven Psychopaths opens October 12th.

A red band trailer for director Martin McDonagh‘s (In Bruges) dark comedy Seven Psychopaths has been released.  The film follows a trio of dognappers (Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, and Christopher Walken) who steal the wrong shih tzu and end up running afoul of a psychotic gangster (Woody Harrelson).  I actually think I slightly prefer the green band trailer, but the cast is still aces in this clip.  Walken again steals the show with his genius looks/delivery, but there really doesn’t seem to be a weak link anywhere.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Tom Waits, Gabourey Sidibe, Abbie Cornish, and Olga Kurylenko.  Seven Psychopaths opens on October 12th.

The first trailer for Seven Psychopaths has been released, and it left a big smile on my face.  It looks like director Martin McDonagh has delivered the same darkly comic verve he brought to In Bruges, and the entire cast looks terrific.  I’m particularly impressed that the trailer quickly breaks down all the psychopaths and still squeezes in the brief synopsis: three hapless dog kidnappers steal a pup from a gangster.  When you pair a brilliant cast with McDonagh’s comic sensibilities, you probably have a great movie in store.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film stars Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Gabourey Sidibe, Abbie Cornish, and Olga Kurylenko.  Seven Psychopaths opens on October 12th.

“Men on a mission” films and the heist genre (arguably the same thing) in general are virtually impossible to screw up. Even Brett Ratner, a director that (perhaps unfairly) gets beaten up regularly for the insensitive things he says in the press, and his party-boy image can deliver a film like Tower Heist, and it plays fairly well at home. You’ve got an ensemble of actors with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy playing against Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, Mathew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe and Alan Alda, and with that cast you’re not going to get bored, even if you can see where the film needed a little more oomph. It’s all about seeing a plan come together, and how that plan gets complicated. And if the film isn’t as great as it could have been, well there’s that, but it’s just good enough. Our review of Tower Heist on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

We’ve been provided with eight clips from director Brett Ratner’s upcoming comedy Tower Heist. The film centers on a group of disgruntled employees who decide to rob a white-collar criminal living under house arrest in their high-rise after he scams them all out of their savings. The all-star cast includes Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Gabourey Sidibe, Téa Leoni, Stephen Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Michael Peña, and Alan Alda. Tower Heist opens November 4th.

Universal has released six bland character posters for Brett Ratner’s Tower Heist.  Each poster features a main character standing on top of a building, we get the actor’s name and their character’s profession, and I guess this sells a movie.  I suppose having an adorable dog on Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy’s posters doesn’t hurt.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.  The film also stars Tea Leoni, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, and Gabourey Sidibe.  Tower Heist opens November 4th.

A new trailer for Brett Ratner’s Tower Heist has gone online.  The film centers on a group of employees working in a high-rise who decide to rob a white-collar criminal after he fleeces them out of their savings. After viewing both trailers, I stick by my conclusion that it will be a popular movie featuring the kind of safe humor that makes a crummy show like Two and a Half Men the #1 show on comedy.  However, it looks like we might finally get another funny performance from Eddie Murphy.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer. The film also stars Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe, Casey Affleck, Stephen Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Michael Peña, and Alan Alda.  Tower Heist opens November 4th and hits VOD in select markets three weeks later.

I know I should have zero interest in Tower Heist.  It’s directed by Brett Ratner, it has Ben Stiller playing a straight man, and Eddie Murphy hasn’t done a good comedy this century, but I have to admit that the trailer got a couple laughs out of me although they weren’t from Stiller or Murphy.  The movie’s got a great supporting cast that includes Michael Peña, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, and Alan Alda, but the biggest laugh in the trailer comes from watching Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) hit on Murphy.  I also have to mention that this and Horrible Bosses share the message that if you’re interested in committing a crime, ask a black guy (preferably one who was in Dreamgirls).

Hit the jump to check out the trailer as well as the new poster.  Tower Heist opens November 4th. [Update: We've added five new images from the film and replaced the poster with a hi-res version]

We have a few bits of casting news for you tonight.  First up, it looks as if Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) will make a guest appearance on the upcoming sketch comedy series Portlandia.  Set in, you guessed it, Portland, the series starring SNL‘s Fred Armisen and rocker Carrie Brownstein is set to debut on IFC in early 2011.  TheWrap reports that, in addition to Buscemi, other cameos for the series will include the likes of Selma Blair, Jason Sudeikis, and director Gus Van Sant.  As for Buscemi, he knows a thing or two about popping-in someone else’s show as he was nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for his guest appearance on 30 Rock.

To read about Gabourey Sidibe and Michael Pena’s latest gigs, hit the jump.

On the new Showtime series The Big C, actress Gabourey Sidibe is playing Andrea, a student of Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who has not told anyone in her life about her condition. Seeing a confidence and spiritedness in the mean and snotty teenager, Cathy decides to take on Andrea’s smart-aleck ways as a challenge to nurture and help, and through the process helps herself.

During an interview while at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, Gabourey Sidibe talked about why it was important for her to do a project that was really funny and how her character definitely doesn’t suffer fools. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Two slices of TV news for you today.  First off: Be honest, did any of you really know that Scrubs was still on? If so, Zach Braff has some news for you, delivered via his Facebook feed [via THR]. Here’s what he had to say:

“Many of you have asked, so here it is: It appears that ‘New Scrubs,’ ‘Scrubs 2.0,’ ‘Scrubs with new kids,’ ‘Scrubbier,’ ‘Scrubs without JD’ is no more. It was worth a try, but alas … it didn’t work. zb”

Now, I was a loyal watcher of the first eight seasons, which were just lighter than air and just about perfect ensemble TV comedy,but the “New Scrubs,” or whatever you want to call ABC’s bizarre attempt at a ninth season transformation, has been not just unwatchable but even worse – instantly forgettable. If Braff is indeed right – and since the show has had only two new episodes since the end of  March, I’d imagine so – it’s an ignominious end for an often-brilliant show that should really have gone out last year with most of its original cast.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer for Showtime’s upcoming series, The Big C, starring Laura Linney and Gabourey Sidibe.

She may have lost out to Sandra Bullock at Sunday night’s Oscars, but Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire star Gabourey Sidibe isn’t wasting too much time worrying about it. She’s already moving on to her next project, this time on the small screen with Showtime.

The new dark comedy The Big C will star Laura Linney as a suburban wife and mother who is diagnosed with cancer, and Sidibe will play one of the students at the high school where she teaches. It will begin shooting its 13-episode season in May and will air at the end of summer.

HBO may be piling up the A-list directors, but count this as a real coup for Showtime, signing one my favorite actresses with Linney and now quickly-rising star Sidibe in what should make for a twistedly-funny show. [ET Online via The Playlist]

The joy of list-making continues today as I’m running down who I thought gave the best performances of the year plus what I thought were the best quotes and kills of 2009.  Please keep in mind that regarding the performances, I haven’t seen a few key films that could have very well changed the winners and runners-up: Crazy Heart (Best Actor), The Last Station and Bright Star (Best Actress), and a few others.  If you think there was someone who clearly should’ve won or been nominated, shout out in the comments section and I’ll let you know whether I saw the film or not.

With this disclaimer out of the way, I present to you my picks for the best performers, directors, quotes, and kills of 2009.  Hit the jump to check them all out.

In the movie “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire”, an obese black girl growing up in 80s Harlem is beaten and verbally abused by her selfish mother.  The girl is pregnant with her second child after being raped again by her father.  Still hopeful for a better life, the girl enrolls in a program that teaches wayward young women to get their G.E.D.  Through the help of a saintly teacher and the support of her classmates, the girl finds confidence and love.  The movie co-stars comedienne Mo’Nique, pop sensation Mariah Carey, and cross-genre musician Lenny Kravitz.

“Precious” is not a Hallmark movie.  It is one of the best films of the year.