Casting Net: Emma Stone attached to Cameron Crowe romance. Plus: Russell Brand, Taylor Kitsch, Bill Murray

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Emma Stoneis joining an exclusive club whose members include Scarlett Johansson, Kirsten Dunst, Penlope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Renee Zellweger, and Ione Skye the female lead of aCameron Crowefilm. The untitled romance, also penned by Crowe, is aiming to start shooting in the spring for Sony Pictures. [Deadline]

Russell Brand is in opening negotiations forPierre Pierre, an off-color comedy about a French cynic smuggling a stolen painting from Paris to London. Larry Charles(Borat) is attached to direct the script, from first-time writersEdwin Cannistraci and Frederick Seton. [Variety]

Taylor Kitschand Brendan Gleeson will headlineThe Grand Seduction, an indie remake of the French Canadian filmLa Grand Seduction about a resident of a small, economically-imperiled Canadian village (Gleeson) who enlists his town to help convince a visiting doctor (Kitsch) to move in for good. Actor and filmmaker Don McKellar (Last Night) will direct from a script byMichael Dowse (Goon)andKen Scott(who also penned the original film). [Deadline]

True Bloods Nelsan Ellis will play civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. inThe Butler,directorLee Daniels star-studded biopic of Eugene Allen (Forest < strong>Whitaker), who worked at the White House over the course of eight presidential administrations. Ellis joins (deep breath)Robin Williams,James Marsden,Alan Rickman,Melissa Leo,Minka Kelly, Jane Fonda, Mariah Carey,Vanessa Redgrave,Alex Pettyfer,andOprah Winfrey, as Allens wife. Daniels wrote the script withDanny Strong(HBOsGame Change). [Deadline]

Bill Murrayis in preliminary talks to star inSt. Vincent De Van Nuys, about an irascible retired war vet (Murray) who befriends a 12-year-old boy whose parents have just divorced.Ted Melfiis attached to direct his screenplay, which was on the 2011 Black List. [Variety]

The Daily ShowsAasif Mandvi will superviseVince Vaughn andOwen WilsoninThe Internship, playing the director of the internship program at a major technology company, which Vaughn and Wilsons characters join to reboot their careers. Shawn Levy is directing from a script written by Vaughn. [Deadline]

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