Casting Notes: Tim Robbins And James Gandolfini In Cinema Verite; Toni Collette In Mental; Jamie Foxx And More In Horrible Bosses

What is it with HBO and dramatic recreations of classic documentaries? Last year there was Grey Gardens, and now the network is lining up Cinema Verite, which will be a dramatized behind the scenes take on the 1973 PBS doc An American Family. The original series was a big deal; it frankly portrayed family troubles for the first time on television, and one of the family sons was the first openly gay character/personality on American television.

Cinema Verite is written by David Seltzer, with Tim Robbins and Diane Lane set to play parents Bill and Pat Loud; James Gandolfini will play An American Family producer Craig Gilbert. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor) are directing, which automatically makes the endeavor a bit more interesting.  [THR]

After the break, Toni Collette will work again with her Muriel's Wedding director, and Horrible Bosses gets some good talent.

Toni Collette worked under director P.J. Hogan in the film Muriel's Wedding, and now the two are set to reunite in Mental. The film is about "a charismatic, crazy hothead who transforms a family's life when she becomes the nanny of five girls."

Hogan wrote the script, based in part on his own experience. "Like Muriel's Wedding, Mental is a comedy, but a comedy based on reality, laced with pain and brimming with flawed but lovable characters. Shaz (the central character) was hilarious, outrageous, dangerous, courageous, inspiring, heartbreaking and totally, totally mad. And she changed my life," Hogan told Variety.

Finally, the comedy Horrible Bosses keeps adding actors. Since we mentioned Colin Farrell's casting yesterday, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day have been added. And now JustJared says that Jamie Foxx is in the mix, too. The film sounds like Office Space plus strains from Strangers on a Train, as it follows three friends who all hate their jobs and decide to kill each others' bosses.