Three projects took a big step toward theaters today:

• IM Global will finance Catherine Hardwicke’s Plush, an erotic thriller led by Emily Browning, Xavier Samuel, and Cam Gigandet.
• Strand Releasing has acquired the U.S. rights to Simon Aboud’s Comes a Bright Day.  Craig Roberts and Imogen Poots star in the British production set during the robbery of a London jewelry store.
• GKIDS signed a deal with Studiocanal to release an English-language version of Ernest & Celestinein the States in Fall 2013.

Hit the jump for details on each project.

A bit of casting news to sum up for you today.  Here are the particulars:

• Heather Graham played a memorable character in The Hangover but was absent in the follow-up. Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part III will see her return, alongside Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Ken Jeong.
• Alan Ritchson (Smallville) is set to play a returning tribute in Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
• Dawn Olivieri (House of Lies) will join Catherine Hardwicke’s erotic thriller, Plush, along with Emily Browning and Cam Gigandet.
• Mark Margolis (Breaking Bad) has been cast in director Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic, Noah, which stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

A bit of casting news to share with you today.  Here are the important bits:

• Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point) is in negotiations to join The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the adaptation ofCassandra Clare’sYA fantasy novel.
• Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) will join Emily Browning and Cam Gigandet in Catherine Hardwicke’s indie thriller, Plush.  

Hit the jump for more details on each picture.

Here’s your latest fix for relevant casting news.  Check them out at a glance below:

• Cam Gigandet (Easy A) has joined Emily Browning in director Catherine Hardwicke’s Plush.
• James Corden (The History Boys) has boarded not one, but two projects: Can a Song Save Your Life? and One Chance.
• Cristin Milioti (Year of the Carnivore) is in talks to join the Martin Scorsese picture, The Wolf of Wall Street.
• David Lyons (The Cape) is the latest addition to Relativity’s romantic thriller, Safe Haven.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

Some easy on the eyes casting additions today.  Here they are at a glance:

• Malin Akerman (Watchmen) will star as “Blondie” front-woman, Debbie Harry in director Randall Miller’s indie, CBGB.
• Emily Browning (Sucker Punch) is in talks to join Plush, a psychic story from director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight).
• Ahna O’Reilly (The Help) will star opposite Ashton Kutcher in the Steve Jobs indie picture, Jobs, from director Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote).

Hit the jump for more on each film.

Catherine Hardwicke‘s career arc doesn’t make much sense to me.  Her directorial debut was the edgy teen drama Thirteen, followed by the likeminded skater tale Lords of Dogtown.  The first major detour came in 2006 with the chaste The Nativity Story.  Next she kicked off the Twilight Saga phenomenon, but instead of returning for the sequels, moved on to the panned Twilight knockoff Red Riding Hood.  To get back on track, Hardwicke may return to her roots.  THR reports that Hardwicke is attached to direct Plush, and her Thirteen star Evan Rachel Wood is attached to star.  The script that Hardwicke co-wrote with Artie Nelson is described as an erotic thriller set in the L.A. music world.

Honestly, I tune out when I hear the phrase “erotic thriller,” but reuniting with Wood is a smart move if Hardwicke wishes to reconnect with the critical community.  Knockout, a boxing drama starring Noomi and Ola Rapace, looks to be her next project.  It sounds promising, so perhaps the director is already on the path back to critical favor.  Hardwicke is also attached to direct The Maze Runner and The Bitch Posse .  Hit the jump for a recent video interview where Hardwicke mentions the project.