Let's take a look at some recent casting news, shall we?

  • It looks like Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries) will be joining Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike) in The Dallas Buyer's Club, a drama about the AIDS epidemic directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.).
  • Ron Perlman (Hellboy) will join Savage Mutts, a criminal action thriller written and directed by Nika Agiashvili (Tbilisi, My City).
  • Word has it that Jack Black and director Richard Linklater, who previously collaborated on School of Rock and the 2012 indie Bernie, will reunite for a bowling movie that may have been inspired by colorful PBA champion, Pete Weber.
  • Finally, the ensemble cast of August: Osage County has added Julianne Nicholson (Kinsey) as well.  The film currently stars Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor and Dermot Mulroney.

Hit the jump for more on each casting note.

THR reports that Bernal is in talks to star alongside McConaughey in The Dallas Buyer's Club.  Based on the true story of Ron Woodroof (McConaughey), a heterosexual man who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, The Dallas Buyer's Club follows him as he begins to smuggle alternative and illegal treatments into the US and into the hands of other AIDS patients.  Bernal joins as "an effeminate member of the club, a fellow AIDS patient who meets Woodroof in the hospital."  The article also reports that Hilary Swank, who was previously circling a role, has dropped out. Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack adapted the true-life tale.  Production aims to start in New Orleans this November.

Perlman will join Savage Mutts as Terry "Shotgun" Coburn, a man released from prison who goes on a rampage through the criminal underworld, seeking revenge against his crime boss brother.  The picture is pitched as being in the vein of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. George Finn (LOL) has also joined Savage Mutts in an unspecified role.

Via The Playlist comes the rumor that Black and Linklater will tackle a bowling tale inspired by Steve Weber.  As Black stated:

"It's about a guy who gives up everything to be a professional bowler."

From that, the LA Times extrapolated the quote into a feature film based on the life of Weber, a noted alcoholic and divorcé.

Finally, Deadline reports that Nicholson will join John Wells' August: Osage County as Ivy Weston, a sister to Roberts' character, Barbara, and the middle daughter of Violet (Streep).  In the film, Weston stayed local in Oklahoma to teach at a nearby college, but is embroiled in a secret affair with a man, whom she plans to move to New York with. The plot of the film centers on the reunion of the disbanded Weston family when their alcoholic patriarch goes missing.