We’ve got a number of new release dates and changes to share this afternoon.  In chronological order:

• Fruitvale Station – The Weinstein Company has moved up the limited release of this tearjerking Sundance smash from July 26th to July 12th.  The pic stars Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer.
• Nebraska – Director Alexander Payne’s black-and-white road trip drama starring Will Forte and Bruce Dern will arrive in limited release on November 22nd.
• Inside Llewyn Davis – The highly anticipated new film from writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen will hit theaters in limited release on December 6th, just in time for awards season.  Taking place in the 1960s folk scene, the pic stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake.
• A Haunted House 2 – The unnecessary Marlon Wayans horror-spoof sequel hits theaters on March 28, 2014.
• Tammy – The road trip comedy starring Melissa McCarthy (who also co-directs with Ben Falcone) has been slated for a prime July 2, 2014 release date opposite Disney’s Maleficent and the Jason Segel comedy Sex Tape.
• Beware the Night – Director Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister) horror thriller has been given a January 16, 2015 release date.  The film stars Eric Bana, Olivia Munn, and Edgar Ramirez.

Check out some recent casting announcements below:

• Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) is in negotiations to join the road trip comedy Tammy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Mark Duplass and Kathy Bates.
• Michael Peña (End of Watch) joins the Oscar-award winning cast of David O. Russell’s new untitled picture that stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence.
• Omar Sy (The Intouchables) is on board director Stephen Gaghan’s Candy Store, also starring Jason Clarke.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

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. 

We’ve got a couple of casting stories to share this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Kiefer Sutherland is in talks to play the villain opposite Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) in Paul W.S. Anderson’s disaster epic Pompeii.
• Mark Duplass is joining Melissa McCarthy and Shirley MacLaine in the roadtrip comedy Tammy, which McCarthy will co-direct.
• Michael Angarano (Red State) is set to costar in the remake of Heat with Jason Statham.

Hit the jump for more details.

Just yesterday we learned that Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, also an actor and screenwriter, had formed their own production banner and set up three new projects, and now the two continue their Hollywood takeover as they’re poised to make their directorial debut.  One of the first projects McCarthy attached herself to after her breakout role in Bridesmaids was a road trip comedy called Tammy, which she also co-wrote with Falcone.  After a few directors became attached and subsequently dropped off—including The Help’s Tate Taylor—New Line has decided to tap McCarthy and Falcone to take the helm.  Hit the jump for more.

After breaking out in a big way following the success of last year’s Bridesmaids, star Melissa McCarthy understandably has quite a bit on her plate at the moment. One of her projects that’s pretty far along is a road trip comedy called Tammy. The film centers on a woman who takes a roadtrip with her diabetic/alcoholic/foul-mouthed grandmother after she’s laid off from a fast food restaurant and discovers that her husband’s having an affair. The Help director Tate Taylor was previously in talks to helm the project, but subsequently dropped out. Variety now reports that TV helmer Beth McCarthy (SNL, 30 Rock) has come onboard to direct.

Director McCarthy—who has no relation to actor McCarthy—served as director of Saturday Night Live from 1995-2006, and has also helmed episodes of 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, as well as two Super Bowl halftime shows. Actor McCarthy (who also wrote the script for Tammy) will next be seen in Judd Apatow’s This is Forty.

A couple months ago, we reported on the number of projects that Bridesmaids breakout star Melissa McCarthy had on her plate. Thanks to the female-driven comedy, McCarthy is now one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. Among the projects was a dark comedy that she was working on with The Help director Tate Taylor, and a road trip comedy called Tammy. Well, now Deadline reports that Taylor is in negotiations to helm the latter film. Whether the dark comedy Taylor and McCarthy were working on was Tammy or another project entirely is unclear, but Taylor seems to be in line to take the lead on the road trip pic. Hit the jump for more, including plot info on Tammy and what other projects are in development for McCarthy.

Having made a name for herself in the genre of “raunchy comedies,” Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) is sticking with what works. McCarthy’s script for Tammy involves an overweight woman who takes a road trip with her diabetic grandmother (who drinks and swears like a sailor) after McCarthy is laid off from a fast food restaurant and discovers her husband’s affair. New Line has preemptively picked up the project, with McCarthy both as the star and executive producer.

McCarthy seems unencumbered by portraying a brash, overweight woman in her most successful roles, and let’s face it, it’s working. After her breakout performance in Bridesmaids and her recurring Emmy-winning work on CBS’s Mike & Molly, McCarthy seems to have cornered the market. Hit the jump for more on McCarthy.

Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids was one of the biggest (and best) comedies of this year. If the film itself was a bit of surprise hit, the biggest surprise came from scene-stealer Melissa McCarthy. One of the highlights of the flick, she killed nearly every line she had and soon after the film’s success she found herself fielding a lot of phone calls. The Emmy-winner for Best Actress in a Comedy is currently working on a number of projects, and recently sat down to dole out some details.

In addition to the comedy that’s she’s scripting for Paramount with Bridesmaids co-writer Annie Mumolo (that film centers on a woman who hijacks the Stanley Cup to cheer up her sick husband), McCarthy is working on a dark comedy with The Help director Tate Taylor, a roadtrip comedy called Tammy, and Paul Feig’s new film Dumb Jock. Hit the jump for more details.