Check out today’s casting news:

• Andy Garcia (The Untouchables) and Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street) have joined Luke Greenfield’s action-comedy Let’s Be Cops.
• Marton Csokas (The Bourne Supremacy) will star opposite Denzel Washington in Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer, also starring Chloe Grace Moretz.
• Jonny Weston (Chasing Mavericks) and Sofia Black-D’Elia (Skins) are in negotiations to join Michael Bay’s found-footage film, Almanac.

Hit the jump for more on each casting announcement.

Magnet Releasing has the unveiled the first trailer for Nature Calls.  Since Nature Calls is about a group of obscene men who take a group of foul-mouthed boy scouts on a camping trip, you better believe it’s a red band trailer.  When executed well, this particular comedy subgenre can be very funny.  And with a cast led by Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle, and Patrice O’Neal, the stars range from funny to very funny.  That does not come across in the trailer, which is artificially crass and grating.  But that doesn’t mean that writer/director Todd Rohal can’t pull it off at feature length.  Here’s hoping.

Nature Calls hits VOD on October 4 followed by a theatrical release on November 9.  Watch the red band trailer after the jump.

Mark Wahlberg, Adam McKay, and Will Ferrell are gearing up to bring Daily Show alum and prolific bit-part player Rob Riggle to HBO. McKay and Ferrell (producers of the network’s black comedy Eastbound and Down) and Wahlberg (producer of seemingly everything else on HBO) will team with Riggle and fellow Eastbound producer Chris Henchy to develop a 1980s-set Wall Street comedy that Riggle will star in. He’ll be playing a successful bonds trader who, one assumes, will prove to be not unlike Kenny Powers in his repulsive yet enthralling overall approach to life. Hit the jump for more.

Yesterday came the joyous news that we would finally be getting a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.  We know that Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell will all be reprising their lovably buffoonish character, Adam McKay will return to the director’s chair, and filming is set to begin in February.  If Anchorman 2 returns with only people from the original cast, I have no problem with that.  But sequels usually bring new faces, so I’ve compiled a list of 12 actors who would fit well within the Anchorman universe.  Keep in mind: I have no idea what the plot will be, or if there will be roles for these actors, and how radically McKay will change the look of the first movie.  The Legend of Ron Burgundy has a goofy 70s vibe, but it’s possible they’ll reset the time and place (the first movie ends with Ron and Veronica leaving San Diego to become worldwide news anchors).  Also, I’m not saying that all of these actors should be in the movie.  I’m just saying I can see them fitting into an Anchorman sequel.

Hit the jump for my criteria on making the list and who made the cut.

From here on out, when I see a movie and can’t quit thinking about it one week after my initial viewing I’m going to refer to it as the Martha Marcy May Marlene effect. I was uncertain how I felt about it while watching. Flash-forward one week later and I’m still uncertain. Combine some great performances from Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes, reserved but effective cinematography, sparse dialogue and even fewer musical cues and what I got was one of the most paranoia-filled movie experiences I’ve ever had. While that may sound like a backhanded compliment, if writer/director Sean Durkin was trying to evoke the type of emotions I think he was with Martha, it may be the highest compliment I can pay him.

In this, the St. Patty’s edition of the “Top 5″, you can find 21 Jump Street interviews with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube and more, The Avengers bits in which Joss Whedon discusses the pic, its current runtime, The Avengers 2, etc., Casa de mi Padre interviews with Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman and more, the first trailer and poster for Tim Burton‘s Dark Shadows, and all of our SXSW 2012 coverage. A brief recap and link to each ensue after the jump.

21 Jump Street is going to surprise you.  Not only is it one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time, it’s got some great action and awesome performances from all involved.  If you had told me that the pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum would be comedy gold, I would have never believed you.  But it is.  Also, another big surprise was Ice Cube.  I’ve seen the film twice and both times he brings the house down with his almost everything he says.  Trust me, you want to see 21 Jump Street and I’d advise seeing it with a crowded theater.  It’s a blast.  For more on the film, here’s Matt’s glowing review, Brendan’s set visit, a five-minute red band clip, and all our coverage on directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller‘s awesome movie.

Last week I got to speak with Rob Riggle in New York City about the film (he plays one of the teachers at the High School).  During the interview we talked about how he got cast, the table reads, how things changed a long the way, karaoke, his favorite director, actor and movie, and the importance of just going for it in a comedy.  Hit the jump for more.

Sony has released a five-minute red-band trailer for 21 Jump Street.  I’m not going to watch it.  I’m already sold on the movie since I’ve only heard raves about it.  I’ve been told directly “I know your sense of humor and you are going to love this movie.”  I was pretty much sold back when the first red-band trailer hit.  Watching five minutes of the movie would just spoil more jokes for me, so I’m going to pass.

However, if you need more convincing, you can check out the trailer after the jump.  The film stars  Jonah Hill (who also co-wrote the script), Channing Tatum, Nick Offerman, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, and Rob Riggle.  21 Jump Street opens March 16th.  I’ll be seeing the film at SXSW, so look for my review later this week.

Dr. Seuss wasn’t afraid to provide serious messages in his books.  Not everything he wrote was Green Eggs and Ham (which, in all fairness, stresses the importance of trying new things).  Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is a moving story that could be read to anyone at any age and still be meaningful.  The Lorax didn’t have the joy and humor of his other books but instead left its readers with a poignant message and dire warning.  Illumination Entertainment’s big 3D CGI-animated adaptation could care less about either.  The Lorax gives a begrudging nod towards environmentalism, a halfhearted tip of the hat to Dr. Seuss, and then pours all of its energy into being hip and funny but succeeded at neither.

The 2012 SXSW Film Festival has announced some exciting additions to their already-stellar line-up.  The Sundance flicks Searching for Sugar Man, Chasing Ice, Monsieur Lazhar (my review), Safety Not Guaranteed (my review), Shut Up and Play the Hits, and Sleepwalk with Me will all be showing up at this year’s SXSW.  I heard nothing but good things about Chasing Ice and Sleepwalk with Me, and I’m glad I’ll have a second chance to see them.  SXSW 2012 will also have the world premiere of Steve Taylor‘s Blue Like Jazz, and Todd Rohal‘s Nature Calls starring Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, and Rob Riggle.  

Hit the jump for more on all of the new additions.  The 2012 SXSW Film Festival runs from March 9 – 17th.

From the creators of Despicable Me comes the animated feature film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a beloved cautionary tale of environmental conservation wrapped up in a colorful children’s story.  We’ve previously brought you images, trailers and even a Super Bowl ad spot for Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda’s The Lorax, which stars Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Ed Helms, Betty White and Danny DeVito. Now we have eight clips from the movie, which will mark Universal’s third Dr. Seuss feature after How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. On what would have been the author’s 108^th birthday, The Lorax will land in theaters on March 2^nd.  Hit the jump to check out the clips.

A trailer is now available for High Road, the fully-improvised comedy by director Matt Walsh (The Hangover). Cast with a ridiculous number of improv comedians at all different levels of fame, High Road stars relative unknowns in the principal roles. James F. Pumphrey (Players) is Fitz, a well-meaning drug-dealer who hits the road to escape his problems and encounters some strange characters along the way. The strong supporting cast features Ed Helms, Rob Riggle, Horatio Sans, Kyle Gass, Abby Elliott, Lizzy Caplan and Zach Woods. While it plays like a mash-up of Harold and Kumar and Pineapple Express, I can’t quite figure out if it’s destined to be a cult classic or a simple misfire. Hit the jump to check out the trailer for High Road.

Universal has released new images from the 3D CGI adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.  Some of the images show the actors doing their voice recordings.  If you couldn’t imagine what Zac Efron would look like if he were in a sound booth and speaking into a microphone, your mind is about to be blown.  There’s also an image of the Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) playing cards with woodland creatures instead of giving dire environmental warnings.  There’s no time for games when the environment is on the line, Lorax.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also features the voices of Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, and Betty White.  Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax opens March 2nd in 3D.

Writer/directors Tom Gianas (Human Giant) and Ross Shuman (Moral Orel) are assembling quite the cast for their stop-motion feature Hell & Back if you’re a comedy geek.  It started off with T.J. Miller and Nick Swardson.  Now Rob Riggle, Brian Posehn, and Kumail Nanjiani have joined the voice cast.  The story centers on two buddies who must rescue their friend who was dragged into hell by mistake.  According to Variety, Riggle will voice a 20-year-old who is finally growing up.  Posehn will play an aging heavy metal fan trapped in the 80s (naturally).  And Nanjiani will play “Sal the Demon, an employee in hell.”

Corey Campodonico, Eric Blyler, and Alex Bulkley are producing for ShadowMachine, the studio behind Moral Orel, Robot Chicken, and Frankenhole.  I am probably the biggest fan of Moral Orel you’ve ever met, and I love this cast and the art of stop-motion in general.  Very eager to see this one.

A new trailer and poster have debuted for 21 Jump Street. The trailer only has a small amount of new footage from the last trailer we saw, but the movie still looks great. I was a huge fan of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and they seem to have brought their oddball sense of humor to Jump Street. Stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum look to be genuinely funny, and the film continues to be high on my most anticipated list for 2012.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster. The film also stars Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, and Rob Riggle. 21 Jump Street opens March 16th, 2012.

A new trailer for Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax has gone online. Directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me) the film is based on the childrens book by Dr. Seuss and tells the story of a boy searching for the one thing that will win him the girl of his dreams. In order to find it, he must learn the story of The Lorax, a creature whose world is in danger. This theatrical trailer delves pretty deep into the plot, and it looks as though the film will be taking the story a bit further than the book, focusing quite heavily on the boy’s exploits around town (ie. running from the “bad guys”). I’m really hoping the story’s environmental message doesn’t get lost in the silliness. Things have looked promising thus far, with some great visuals and charming work from DeVito, so I’m optimistic.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer. The film features the voices of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, and Betty White.  Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax opens in 3D on March 2nd, 2012.