Here’s more of today’s casting news:

• Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger) is in negotiations to join Luke Evans in Dracula, the Universal picture directed by Gary Shore.
• Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina) is in talks for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the Guy Ritchie-directed adaptation of the TV series that stars Tom Cruise and Armie Hammer.
• Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair), Jessica Alba (Sin City) and Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) will star in How to Make Love Like an Englishman for director Tom Vaughan.

Hit the jump for more on each casting announcement.

The comedy A.C.O.D., which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to positive reviews, has been picked up for distribution by The Film Arcade and Paramount Home Media.  The title stands for “Adult Children of Divorce” and the Stuart Zicherman-directed film centers on a guy (Adam Scott) who has been caught in his parents’ (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara) ugly divorce for the past twenty years, and matters become even worse when his brother gets engaged.  Then the details of the feud are revealed in a definitive new book on children of divorce.

I caught the film at Sundance (read Matt’s review here) and it’s a solid comedy with a big heart, and as a fellow A.C.O.D. it hit really close to home for me in quite a few parts.  It also features scene-stealing performances by Catherine O’Hara and Richard Jenkins, with other nice turns from Clark Duke, Amy Poehler, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  The Film Arcade will be handling theatrical distribution in North America, while Paramount Home Media will manage domestic home entertainment, television licensing and digital distribution, as well as international distribution.  Hit the jump for the press release.

Now playing in theaters is the 3D animated feature, Escape from Planet Earth.  The story centers on some aliens who get captured during a mission to Earth and are tossed into the secure holding site of Area 51, but they quickly find that they are not alone.  Escape From Planet Earth features the voices of Rob Corddry, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, William Shatner, Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Craig Robinson, George Lopez, Steve Zahn, Chris Parnell, Ricky Gervais and Jonathan Morgan Heit.

During the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an exclusive interview with Jessica Alba.  We talked about making Escape From Planet Earth, the recording process, her experiences at this year’s Sundance (where she co-starred in the indie comedy, A.C.O.D.), Sin City 2 and how it compares to the first film, what else is coming up in 2013, and more.  Hit the jump for what she had to say.

Jessica Alba and George Lopez star in Cal Brunker’s hilarious animated space adventure, Escape from Planet Earth, about what happens when aliens respond to a distress signal from the Dark Planet.  Alba voices Lena, the beautiful, intelligent but extremely duplicitous chief of BASA’s mission control.  Lopez plays Thurman, a three-eyed, four-armed slug-like alien who leaves a trail of goo wherever he goes.  Opening February 15^th, the film also features the voices of Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, William Shatner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Craig Robinson, Ricky Gervais, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Steve Zahn and Chris Parnell.

At our recent roundtable interview, Alba and Lopez talked about their characters and what drew them to the project.  Lopez described how Harvey Weinstein tracked him down in Las Vegas to play the part and was instrumental in putting together the terrific cast.  Alba explained why she loved playing a villain in her first animated feature, how she found the recording process and enjoyed playing over the top and crazy, what she thought of the script’s strong female characters, and how being a mom has affected the roles she takes.  She also discussed the Honest Company and her new book.  Hit the jump to read on.

We have three new clips and five character posters to share from Cal Brunker’s animated sci-fi family film, Escape from Planet Earth.  Brendan Fraser and Rob Corddry voice two alien brothers who get into all sorts of hijinks when a mission leads them to the notoriously dangerous title planet.

Also featuring the voices of Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson, George Lopez, Sofia Vergara, Steve Zahn, Chris Parnell, Jonath Morgan Heit, James Corden, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker and William Shatner, Escape from Planet Earth opens February 15th.  Hit the jump to check out the clips and posters.

Director Robert Rodriguez’s sequel Machete Kills now has a release date, as the continued adventures of the titular Machete will commence on September 13th of this year.  The pic is the second in a planned trilogy (the third film supposedly takes place in space) and centers on Machete’s (Danny Trejo) quest to stop an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has plans to spread war and anarchy across the planet.  On the September release date, the pic will open opposite the dancing film Battle of the Year and the Aaron Eckhart-led action horror adaptation I, Frankenstein.

Hit the jump to read the full press release.  The colorful cast includes Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Demian Bichir, Alex Vega, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding Jr., William Sadler, Marko Zaror, and of course Mel Gibson.

A new trailer has landed for director Cal Brunker’s animated space adventure, Escape from Planet Earth.  If you enjoyed Hoodwinked and its sequel, then Escape from Planet Earth is right up your alley as it’s from the same creative team.  The story centers on alien beings who get captured during a mission to Earth and are tossed into the secure holding site of Area 51.  But they quickly find that they are not alone.

Escape from Planet Earth, featuring the voices of Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Brendan Fraser, James Gandolfini, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry opens February 14th, 2013.  Hit the jump to check out the new trailer.

A double-barrel of good news on the Machete Kills front, as the Robert Rodriguez-directed and Danny Trejo-starring sequel has been picked up for North American distribution in 2013 by Open Road Films and has released its first official image!  The second installment in a planned trilogy features Trejo as the former Mexican federale out to stop a madman and a billionaire arms dealer from unleashing war across the globe.

The crazy cast which crowds Trejo out of his screen time features Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Demian Bichir, Alexa Vega, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding, Jr., William Sadler, Marko Zaror and Mel Gibson.  Hit the jump to check out the first image of Machete Kills.  Mr. Machete, what are you doing to Miss San Antonio?

Yesterday, we reported that Charlie Sheen would be playing the President in Robert Rodriguez‘ Machete Kills (it’s funny because Charlie Sheen is sleazy).  We also showed you a couple set photos, and now some more have found their way online courtesy of Jessica Alba‘s twitter feed.  There’s nothing revelatory about these set photos, but it looks like everyone is having a good time on set and I’m curious to see how those dancers and musicians factor into the plot.  I’m also curious to see if Machete (Danny Trejo) will be the star of his own film this time.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  Machete Kills also stars Edward James Olmos, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Demian Bichir, Michelle Rodriguez, and Mel Gibson.

Who needs elections when you can just appoint Charlie Sheen to play the President of the United States of America in your movie?  That’s what director Robert Rodriguez did recently for Machete Kills, the sequel to the cult hit, Machete. The sequel finds the titular star, an ex-Federale played by Danny Trejo, receiving a request from the President himself to take down a dangerous drug lord who is threatening the U.S. with nuclear attacks.  I cannot wait to see the criminally insane Sheen take on the Presidential role (will he channel Martin Sheen’s The West Wing character? Highly doubtful.) We’ve also got a first look of Machete Kills star Sofia Vergara on set.  Hit the jump to check it out.

Dimension Films has set the release date for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.  In a press release, the studio announced that Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller‘s sequel to Sin City will open in 3D on October 4, 2013.  The press release also confirms that Mickey Rourke will return to play Marv (because A Dame to Kill For is really more a prequel than a sequel), and adds that Jessica Alba will reprise her role as Nancy Callahan.  We previously reported that Rosario Dawson would be returning at Gail, but the press release makes no mention of the actress.  Rodriguez and Miller co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar-winning screenwriter Willliam Monahan (The Departed).  Dimension says, “The script and details of the film’s story are being kept tightly under wraps,” but you can find a synopsis for Miller’s graphic novel after the jump.

Currently, the only other film set to be released on October 4, 2013 is Henry Selick‘s untitled animated film.

Movies keep trying to kill Michelle Rodriguez, but luckily she keeps finding a way to come back.  Rodriguez is set to return in two sequels: one, a true sequel in Machete Kills and one, the sixth installment in the Fast and the Furious franchise.  As for director Robert Rodriguez’s sequel, Michelle Rodriguez will reprise her role as Luz, the leader of an illegal immigrant aid movement known as the Network.  She’ll be starring alongside Mel Gibson who recently joined the cast.

The Fast and the Furious 6, which will feature the directorial return of Justin Lin (Fast Five) and, perhaps more importantly, the return of Rodriguez’s character, Letty, something that was teased at the end of the previous film.  Shooting next month, The Fast and the Furious 6 also stars Dwayne Johnson, Gina Carano, Jordana Brewster and, of course, Vin Diesel. Hit the jump for more, including details on Gibson’s role in Machete Kills.

Like it does every year, Jimmy Kimmel Live followed the Oscars with a bit that packed in every Hollywood actor they could find.  This year, they poked fun at epic movies by creating Movie: The Movie and throwing in every genre possible.  Of course, the premise of trying to sell a movie by overloading it with famous faces is absolutely ridiculous.  Still, it’s an amusing way to try to start your Monday.

Hit the jump to check out the 9-minute trailer.  The fake film’s cast includes George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Alba, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, and Bryan Cranston as the world’s unluckiest hot dog vendor. Movie: The Movie opens Thanksgiving, Christmas, and summer 2012.

In Spy Kids: All The Time In The World, actress Jessica Alba plays Marissa Cortez Wilson, a woman who is married to a famous spy-hunting television reporter, has a new baby, and is the mother of twin stepkids. A retired secret agent, Marissa keeps the secret form her husband Wilbur (Joel McHale), and his 10-year-olds, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), until the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet and she’s called back into action.

At the film’s press day, the very pregnant Jessica Alba talked about identifying with her character’s experience of being a new mom, why she enjoys collaborating with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (they’ve also done Machete and Sin City together), what it’s like to balance work and motherhood and always feel like she’s sacrificing one for the other, and how none of the physical work she’s done has been as challenging as her TV show Dark Angel, so she’ll be seeking out an action movie once she’s ready to get back to work after having her second child. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Robert Rodriguez’ Spy Kids: All the Time in the World may be so stupid that it’s brilliant.  There’s a talking dog voiced by Ricky Gervais.  Jeremy Piven’s hair is inexplicable.  The jokes are lame.  The kids don’t seem like they can act.  I don’t think there’s a single set that isn’t CG.  But the masterstroke is “Aroma-Scope” which makes the 3D film “4D”.  We’ve already explained how “Aroma-Scope” works but seeing it in this trailer makes it look even dumber than previously imagined.  I wonder if you’ll use it when the kid’s bag of vomit hits a bad guy in the face.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Jessica Alba, Alex Vega, Daryl Sabara, and Joel McHale.  Spy Kids: All the Time in the World opens August 19th.