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Casting Tidbits: Eugene Levy, Jeremy Piven and Casey Affleck

by Ethan Anderton
October 28, 2010

We're now a quarter of an inch tall, and sixty four feet from the Casting Tidbits. That's an equivalent of three-point-two miles. That's a long way. Even for a man of science. First up, Variety reports the hilarious Eugene Levy has snagged a role in the hockey centric comedy Goon, an adaptation of Doug Smith and Adam Frattasio's book Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey Into Minor League Hockey. The film follows a bouncer (Seann William Scott) who joins a rag-tag hockey team and inspires them to greatness and Jay Baruchel is already signed on to play his best friend. No word on what character Levy will play, but a good bet might be the coach.

Second, in a press release from Dimension Films, the entire cast has been announced for Robert Rodriguez's action adventure family film Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. Though we've previously mentioned most of the cast members in previous Casting Tidbits, one name has not yet been revealed. Jeremy Piven is playing the villain known as the Timekeeper who threatens to take over the planet and forces retired agent Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) back into action along with her two twin step-kids with the help of the original Spy Kids Carmen and Juni Cortez (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara). Robert Rodrigiuez is back as director, director of photography, editor and visual effects supervisor on the film.

Next, THR reports Casey Affleck (Gone, Baby, Gone) and Judd Hirsch (Independence Day) have joined the ever-growing cast of Brett Ratner's action comedy Tower Heist. The film follows an overworked manager (Ben Stiller) of an illustrious tower residence who leads a team of defrauded workers in a heist of its penthouse tenant, a Bernie Madoff-type Wall Street capitalist (Alan Alda) who pulled a Ponzi scheme and swindled the staff. Affleck will play Stiller's character's friend who works with him in the high-rise, but wants no part of the heist and wants to turn him and his co-workers in for their scheming. No word on which character Hirsch will play in the film.

Also, Empire reports Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon from the Harry Potter franchise) will play King George II in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The casting was revealed in a quick chat with Geoffrey Rush who recalled his trend of taking roles advising royalty from Elizabeth and the sequel The Golden Age to The King's Speech. Then he continued by saying Barbosa is a privateer in King George II's court where he mentors the historical leader as well.

Finally, Variety reports the charming Angela Lansbury (Beauty and the Beast, "Murder, She Wrote") has joined the cast of the adaptation of Mr. Popper's Penguins starring Jim Carrey. The story follows Mr. Popper, a high-powered, New York businessman who suddenly inherits six penguins. He soon realizes the difficulties of raising the animals and faces major challenges at work and home. Lansbury is playing Mrs. Van Gundy, the owner of a local tavern that Mr. Popper attempts to buy. She joins a cast that already includes Carla Gugino (Watchmen) and Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia).

Well, that's all for this edition of Casting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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