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

• As production gears up to begin next month, James Marsden has joined the cast of Anchorman 2 as a rival anchor and nemesis to Ron Burgundy.
• Michael Biehn has been tapped to topline the Canadian MMA horror thriller Severed Connection.
• Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Joyful Noise) is set to star opposite Anna Kendrick in writer/director Richard LaGravenese’s musical The Last Five Years.

Hit the jump for more information on the aforementioned casting stories.

Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) will star in a multi-episode arc in the upcoming second season of NBC’s Smash. That will make two American Idol alumnae appearing on the show as star Katharine McPhee is also set to return.  Hudson will play Veronica Moore, a Tony Award-winning Broadway star whose presence impacts the lives of Karen (McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty).   Smash, a Television Critics Award nominee for Best New Program, needs to recoup some losses after axing a good portion of the cast earlier this year.  Hudson is certainly a worthwhile addition, even if it’s only for a short time.  Hit the jump for more on Hudson and the second season of Smash.