Here’s the latest casting news:

• Rufus Sewell (Dark City) will join Dwayne Johnson (Snitch) in Brett Ratner’s fantasy epic, Hercules.
• Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) is in talks to star alongside Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) in the raunchy road trip movie, Tammy, along with Kathy Bates (Misery).
• Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) will reteam with Anchorman 2 filmmakers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay for the indie comedy, Welcome to Me.

Hit the jump for more on each casting announcement. 

In more shocking Downton Abbey cast news (of the exiting kind), Siobhan Finneran has recently told the press that she will not reprise her role as the dastardly Mrs. O’Brien, the lady’s maid everyone loves to hate, in the show’s fourth season.  The announcement comes on the heels of two other major cast departures this season, and it looks like Julian Fellowes‘ Edwardian drama, the reins of which he’s handing over next year, is going to need to start casting quickly.  A few new characters have already been revealed:

• Tom Cullen will appear as Lord Gillingham, described as an old family friend of the Crawleys (aren’t they all?) who may or may not be helpful in mending Lady Mary’s heart.
• Nigel Harman will play a valet named Green.
• Harriet Walter plays Lady Shackleton, an old friend of the Dowager Countess (Shirley Maclaine as also been said to be rumored to return, but seeing the Dowager with someone she actually likes will be a treat).

Hit the jump for my speculation on the future of O’Brien and a few more casting updates.

Edwardian soap opera Downton Abbey, which will air first on Britain’s ITV next month and then later this year in America on PBS, has added a new character to its third season sure to shake things up — Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) mother Martha Levinson, played by Shirley MacLaine.

For those not up on Downton history, Cora married the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) for position while he married her for money.  Though it turned out to be a good match in the end (as they are actually affectionate with one another), there are clearly mixed feelings by the Earl’s mother, Violet, Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) about an American having rescued their estate.  Now, several decades later, with Downton’s fortunes again on the downturn, it seems that Martha is in town for a visit (to pay some bills?) but she’ll be up against Violet’s distain and sharp barbs.  For a preview of their deliciously devilish discourse, hit the jump.

Director Richard Linklater returned to screens earlier this year with the dark comedy Bernie, and in celebration of the film’s release on Blu-ray/DVD today, we’ve been provided with a few goodies to giveaway to some lucky fans.  Jack Black stars in this true story about an assistant funeral director of a small Texas town who woos and then murders a cantankerous, affluent widow.  We have three posters for the film, each signed by Linklater, Black, and Shirley MacLaine, that will go to three lucky readers.

Hit the jump to find out how you can win.

After an uneven second season (that was mercifully saved by a stunning Christmas Special), PBS’s exceptionally successful series Downton Abbey is ready to return.  The series is co-produced with Britain’s ITV, who will air Downton first in September, followed by a second run on PBS in January.  The new season will feature all of the principle cast, plus the addition of Shirley MacLaine as Lady Mary’s other grandmother.  Things are sure to get heated between the American (MacLaine) and the Queen of Quips, The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), as the trailer already suggests.  To view the trailer and read more about the series, hit the jump.

Here are today’s casting notes at a glance:

• Dan Aykroyd will join Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace picture, Behind the Candelabra.
• Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting), Shirley MacLaine (The Apartment) and Oliver Cooper (Project X) will star in the ensemble comedy, A Film by Alan Stuart, from writer/director Andy Bergman.
• Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) will join Gary Oldman, Malcolm McDowell and Dominic Monaghan in Monster Butler.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

We’ve got just a few more release date shuffles to share on this unofficial “Release Date Thursday.”  Following release date news for the X-Men: First Class sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Robopocalypse, as well as Independence Day 3D, here’s a brief rundown of a few more dates:

• Disney’s Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp has been moved from May 31st to July 3rd, 2013.
• Marvel’s Thor 2 is shifting slightly from November 15th to November 8th.
• The sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters has been pushed back to August 16th from March 15th, 2013.
• The Ben Stiller-directed remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will land on Christmas Day, 2013.
• The currently untitled comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig has been set for April 5th, 2013.

Hit the jump for more on each of the aforementioned films.

You’re driving down the street, and it’s suddenly blocked off.  You notice these weird yellow signs with nonsensical letters or numbers.  There’s unusual glow lighting up a neighborhood you can’t usually see from your house.  What you might have here is a film company shooting in your town.  It happens a lot, and you never know where they might pop up…until now.

The following is a semi-comprehensive list of films currently shooting, what they’re shooting, and where they’re shooting.  We’ll be telling you where you might get to see the very famous, the kinda famous and (if all goes well) the soon-to-be famous. While we can’t list every single movie, television show, or student film in production, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what the heck is going on where all those people are buzzing about.  Want to know where in the world are Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Woody Harrelson, and Leonardo DiCaprio? Hit the jump for more.

Though the two just starred together in Richard Linklater’s Bernie, Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine are already planning a reunion of sorts.  It was announced today (via ScreenDaily) that Black and MacLaine will star in the comedy Wild Oats alongside Jacki Weaver and Alan Arkin.  The caper follows two fugitives who are forced to outwit a trio of conmen and the law, with Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink) onboard to direct from a script by Gary Kanew and Claudia Myers.

The cast is impressive, but Deutch’s recent filmography (My Best Friend’s Girl, The Whole Ten Yards) isn’t exactly up to par with his earlier material.  Production on Wild Oats is set to get underway in mid-July, but Black is also attached to star in Charlie Kaufman’s incredibly promising Frank or Francis.  That film has a solid cast, but producers are still firming up financing before production can begin.

Opening this weekend, in limited release, is director Richard Linklater’s (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Before Sunrise) new film Bernie.  The dark comedy is based on a true story and stars Jack Black as an assistant funeral director of a small Texas town who wooed and then murdered a cantankerous, affluent widow.  Black is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast that includes Shirley MacLaine as said widow and Matthew McConaughey as the one person in town who suspects Bernie of wrongdoing.  While I’ve been less than impressed with Black’s recent film choices, I thought his work in Bernie was incredible and it’ll remind you that when he has the right material, he’s a great actor.  For more on the film, here’s seven clips.

Last week I got to sit down with Black and MaClaine.   They talked about their favorite movies, were they shocked to learn the story was based on actual events, what changed while filming, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

We’ve been provided with seven clips from director Richard Linklater’s (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Before Sunrise) new film Bernie to share with our readers.  The dark comedy is based on a true story and stars Jack Black as an assistant funeral director of a small Texas town who wooed and then murdered a cantankerous, affluent widow.  Black is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast that includes Shirley MacLaine as said widow and Matthew McConaughey as the one person in town who suspects Bernie of wrongdoing.  While I’ve been less than impressed with Black’s recent film choices, I thought his work in Bernie was incredible and it’ll remind you that when he has the right material, he’s a great actor.

Hit the jump to check out the clips.  The film opens on April 27th.

It’s always a fun treat when a now-famous actor pops up in a small role in an older movie you haven’t re-watched in a while.  We previously posted a “Before They Were Famous” supercut, but now someone has edited together a montage of actors in their very first feature film roles. While you’re most likely aware of the majority of these appearances, I’m willing to bet you’ll find at least a few surprises in this video.  I had no idea Jon Hamm was in Clint Eastwood’s “old guys can be astronauts too” movie Space Cowboys, but I now feel compelled to move the pic to the top of my Netflix queue.

Watch Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen, Emma Thompson, Zach Braff and many more make their feature debut after the jump.

The first trailer for director Richard Linklater’s (Dazed and Confused) new dark comedy Bernie has gone online. Based on a true story, the film stars Jack Black as an assistant funeral director of a small Texas town who wooed and then murdered a cantankerous, affluent widow. I’m a big fan of Linklater’s work, and while I was wary of Bernie after getting a look at the first poster, I really like this trailer. It’s strange, it’s weird, and it’s really funny. Matthew McConaughey is in fine form here as the one person in town who suspects that Bernie is in the wrong, and Shirley MacLaine looks to be wonderfully crabby as the victim of Bernie’s crime. I like the almost documentary-like style that Linklater uses to tell the story (not found footage), and I can’t wait to see more.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Bernie opens April 27th.

We’ve got a couple of casting stories to bring you this afternoon. First up, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, and Martin Short have been added to the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. It’s a curious bit of news, as the film hits theaters in a matter of months and a full trailer has already been released, but I’m assuming the three are up for minor roles. Heat Vision’s report doesn’t specify what characters Chastain, Cranston, and Short will be lending their voices to, but Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Sacha Baron Cohen are all reprising their roles from the first two films.

The plot finds the zoo animals yet again trying to make their way back to New York City, but this time they find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Europe. Frances McDormand voices the villain in the pic, which hits theaters June 8th. Hit the jump for casting news regarding Ben Stiller’s directorial project The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

We have a few bits of casting news to bring your way this afternoon. First up, Shirley MacLaine has signed on to director Sue Kramer’s (Gray Matters) indie The Locals which also has Alan Arkin and Vera Farmiga in talks to join. Per Deadline, The Locals will seek to place the timeless Romeo & Juliet tale in a contemporary setting and will feature a “Jewish/Italian twist.” Kramer penned the script for the film which will be co-produced by her Bella Films moniker alongside Grow Pictures and Curious Pictures. Production on the pic is set to begin in the Bronx this fall.

Next up, Variety reports that Prom‘s Nicholas Braun has been added to director Akiva Schaffer’s (of The Lonely Island and Hot Rod fame) comedy Neighborhood Watch. Braun joins a cast that already includes Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Rosemarie DeWitt. Watch is written by Superbad cohorts Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and centers on a group of neighbors who, in the process of keeping their streets crime free, find themselves in the middle of a larger conspiracy. The film is due out next summer on July 27th. As for Braun, the young actor also nabbed the lead in Fox’s upcoming comedy Gay Dude and can be seen alongside Paul Rudd, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.