In a move that surprises no one, HBO has renewed its highly discussed, popular and divisive series Girls for a third season with an expanded episode count, totaling twelve.  The series was already brought back early this year (returning in January after premiering last spring in April with the sharp political comedy Veep), and HBO seems eager to ride the zeitgeist wave and bring even more of the series as fast as it can.

Elsewhere, the premium cable channel has ordered a half-hour pilot from Jay and Mark Duplass who are set to write, direct and produce (though not star or appear in) the series called Togetherness.  Togetherness will focus on two couples living under one roof, working through their relationships and pursuing their dreams.  Hit the jump for more.

A couple of interesting acquisitions have been announced.  First up, Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions—known for its small budget, big profit model with the Paranormal Activity films and Insidious—has acquired a found footage movie called Peachfuzz, produced by the incredibly hard working brothers Mark and Jay Duplass.  Plot details on the project are being kept under lock and key, but Mark stars in the film that centers on a young man who answers a Craigslist ad “and gets much more than he bargained for.”  Production on the Patrick Brice film has already wrapped.

Hit the jump for news regarding writer/director Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson.

I have yet to embrace fully the mumblecore genre. I want to love it, having come of age as a filmmaker working on the indies of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, but perhaps that is my problem: I see mumblecore as the natural progression of so many films on which I crewed that never saw the light of day. Like any other genre, simply creating a movie and actually executing a good movie are two different things, and too often mumblecore-type pics feel like a means to an end rather than well-crafted films. Which does not mean the best of the bunch are not good, entertaining films, exactly how I felt about Jeff, Who Lives At Home (and I was not a fan of the Duplass brothers’ break-out picture, The Puffy Chair).  Hit the jump for my review of the Blu-ray.

Two more bits of casting news this evening.  Here they are in brief:

• Yancy Butler, who appeared as Angie D’Amico in Kick-Ass, is set to return in the same role for the Jeff Wadlow-directed sequel.
• Jonathan Daniel Brown (Project X) is set to join the cast of the horror comedy Milo, also starring Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs and Peter Stormare.

Hit the jump for details on both projects.

Brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, who burst onto the scene in 2005 with their well-received indie The Puffy Chair, are now looking to put their talents to work on a remake.  The Duplass brothers are in talks to write and possibly direct a redo of the 1978 rom-com Same Time, Next Year for Universal Pictures.  The original starred Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn as two people who develop an extramarital affair with each other in which they meet up once a year to rekindle the sparks.  Over the years, the two catch up on each other’s lives and develop a deeper and more complex relationship.  Hit the jump for more.

Red Flag has released the first trailer for The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, the latest from Jay and Mark Duplass (Jeff Who Lives at Home).  Mark Kelly and Steve Zissis star as two grown brothers who secretly compete in a 25-part homemade Olympics during a family reunion: “When their fierce and disruptive competition is uncovered, the brothers must choose between their passion for beating the hell out of each other and the greater good of the family.”  The movie looks charming in that ultra low-key way that the Duplass brothers have mastered.  As someone who grew up challenging three brothers to thousands of competitions across a few dozen sports, I am the target audience.

Jennifer Lafleur, Julie Vorus, and Reid Williams also star.  The Do-Deca-Pentathlon is due in theaters on July 6.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

Back in February, we learned that The Hangover director Todd Phillips was developing four projects at Warner Bros. as possible directorial vehicles.  One of said projects was an adaptation of Tony D’Souza’s novel Mule.  The story centers on a couple who decide to traffic drugs as a result of the economic downturn and the wife’s unexpected pregnancy. The husband quickly rises up the drug trafficking ladder to become a drug boss and the two find themselves way over their heads.  At the time, Phillips and producer Scott Budnick were looking for a writer to put on the project.  Now it appears that Mark and Jay Duplass have been tapped to pen the adaptation.  Hit the jump for more, including a synopsis for the book.

Jay and Mark Duplass don’t really go dark or deep with their movies.  Most of their films look at a family dynamic by introducing a strange but not outlandish hook, and then let the performances and heartwarming story carry the day.  Their latest film, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, is no different.  While the movie rarely challenges the audience and slightly stumbles on a forced conflict using a stock character, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon is cute and funny and another nice addition to the Duplass’ filmography.

From writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus) comes Jeff Who Lives at Home, a coming of age comedy for two men who are already well beyond their youth.  Starring Jason Segel (The Muppets) and Ed Helms (The Hangover) as two brothers, with Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as their mother, Jeff Who Lives at Home follows Jeff (Segel) as he searches for meaning in his life and inadvertently helps his brother, Pat (Helms) discover a truth of his own. We have three clips from the film that highlight the very funny rapport between Helms and his onscreen wife Judy Greer, a fairly awkward phone conversation between Segel and Sarandon, and the giant Segel uncomfortably riding in a tiny Porche. I was already pretty sold on the dramatic stuff from the trailers, but these clips focus on the lighter side of things and the jokes land solidly, so hopefully that carries over through the entirety of the movie. Jeff Who Lives at Home opens March 16^th.  Hit the jump to check out the clips.

Paramount has released a batch of new images from the upcoming dramedy Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the film stars Jason Segel as an adult still living with his mother who, through a series of comedic and unexpected events, crosses paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. While the logline sounds a bit vague, the trailer for the film is excellent. Segel has shown shades of his dramatic talent in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and How I Met Your Mother, but it looks as though he’ll really get a chance to shine in Jeff, Who Lives at Home. You can read Matt’s review of the film here.

Hit the jump to check out the images. The film also stars Ed Helms, Judy Greer, and Susan Sarandon. Jeff, Who Lives at Home opens on March 16th.

Paramount Vantage has released the first trailer for Jeff, Who Lives at Home, the latest from Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus).  Jason Segel stars as the titular character searching for the meaning of life: “A series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances.” As expected, the movie looks excellent. Segel has been poised for a breakout dramatic role for a while now, and he looks expertly cast in this “dramedy” from the immensely talented Duplass duo. Ed Helms seems to be in fine form as Segel’s slightly more successful brother, and the two have their fair share of dramatic and comedic moments. I’m very encouraged by what this trailer shows of Segel’s performance, and I can’t wait to see more.

The film also stars Judy Greer and Susan Sarandon. Jeff, Who Lives at Home is scheduled for release on March 2, 2012.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

Jeffrey Blitz, the director behind the 2002 Spelling Bee documentary Spellbound, is currently in negotiations to helm the comedy Table 19. The story, written by Jay and Mark Duplass, follows a group of strangers who meet at the “singles” table at a wedding.  The so-called “losers” make running commentary about the ongoing wedding as Table 19 explores the ideologies of marriage from an outsider looking in.

Variety reports that although Jay and Mark Duplass were originally attached to direct, Blitz should easily be able to handle the awkward comedy that will certainly run rampant in Table 19. He also directed Rocket Science, a pic about a stuttering high school student who joins the debate team, and has directed episodes of Parks and Recreation and The Office. Shawn Levy (Real Steel) is attached to produce through his 21 Laps outfit.

The Duplass Brothers’ Jeff, Who Lives at Home opens on a terrific note by bashing the silliness of M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.  Unfortunately, that’s about as hilarious and insightful as Jeff gets.  While the lead performances are solid and there are some funny jokes along the way, the film is saddled with a weak sub-plot and an even weaker subtext.  Jeff, Who Lives at Home ends up revering what it originally mocked.

Paramount Vantage has slated the comedy Jeff Who Lives At Home for March 2^nd, 2012 (per THR). Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus), the film stars Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon and Rae Dawn Chong. The story centers on Jeff (Segel), a stay-at-home son who gets an epiphany about his destiny while out on an errand for his mother. Helms plays his brother. The Duplass brothers are known for making thought provoking and slightly left-of-center films, and Jeff Who Lives At Home seems to be no exception. The comedy will have its world premiere this fall at the Toronto Film Festival. You can check out the first images from the film here.

Mark and Jay Dupplass are looking to continue their path towards more mainstream fare after last year’s dramedy Cyrus, starring Jonah Hill, opened to wildly positive reception. The writer/director duo will unveil their next film, the stoner comedy Jeff Who Lives at Home starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms, and produced by Jason Reitman, later this year, and now the pair are shopping the script for their next project, a dramatic thriller. 24 Frames reports that the new film, titled Pitchfork, centers on “the middle-aged mother of an indie rocker who, after her son is killed in a car accident, seeks vengeance on an online blogger who had peddled snark about her son [on the music site Pitchfork].” Things take a turn, however, when the bully turns out to be a teenager (which doesn’t necessarily count as a surprise).

Apparently Susan Sarandon is being sought to take on what is most certainly a very meaty role as the mother, and Hill has talked with the brothers Duplass about possibly playing the blogger. The pair broke onto the scene with 2005’s indie The Puffy Chair, and their subsequent films have been deemed part of the “mumblecore” aesthetic (low-budgets, improvised dialogue, etc.). Jeff Who Lives at Home currently doesn’t have a release date, but is expected to hit theaters later this year.