Casting Notes: Sarah Silverman In Take This Waltz; Greg Kinnear And Katie Holmes In The Kennedys; Richard Gere And Topher Grace In The Double

Sarah Polley is putting together a film she'll direct as a follow-up to the sad and terrific Away From Her, and she's just landed Sarah Silverman to appear alongside Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams. Take This Waltz is about "a young woman (Williams) whose struggles with infidelity leads her to the realization that she may be addicted to the honeymoon period of her relationships."

Rogen's character is married to Williams;  Silverman plays Rogen's sister. Based on what we've heard of the script, which Polley also wrote, this will probably be tipped slightly more to the dramatic side of the scale, though I know it has significant funny aspects. I'm always happy to see comediennes play drama, so I hope Silverman's role isn't purely intended as comic relief. [Variety]

After the break, the Kennedys come to life (again) and Richard Gere partners up with Topher Grace.

I imagine we won't see the end of movies about the lives of John F. Kennedy and his family any time soon — certainly not in our lifetimes. The Kennedys is an upcoming mini-series being assembled by the History Channel, and it now has a cast full of...unexpected...faces. Greg Kinnear will play John F. Kennedy; Katie Holmes plays Jacqueline Kennedy; Barry Pepper is Robert Kennedy; and Tom Wilkinson will be Joe Kennedy Sr.

The show will look at personal relationships within the extensive Kennedy clan, "including John's and Bobby's tumultuous relationship with their father." I think I'm most curious to see Barry Pepper's RFK, however. Steve Kronish is writing and Jon Cassar will direct; both men come from the team behind 24. The Kennedys executive producer Joel Surnow also co-created 24. [Variety]

Finally, Richard Gere and Topher Grace are set to pair up for the espionage thriller The Double, directed by Wanted and 3:10 to Yuma co-writer Michael Brandt. When a US Senator is murdered by someone who appears to be a Soviet assassin named Cassius, a retired CIA op (Gere) and young FBI agent (Grace) set out to hunt down the killer. [Variety]