From parents to friends to struggling lovers, here's the latest casting news, courtesy of Variety:

First up is one of the Desperate Housewives -- Marcia Cross. While her other co-stars have been dipping their toes into the cinematic waters, Cross has only spent her time on the boob tube, until now; she's starring in a new indie comedy called Peck. In yet another Hollywood science fair story, there's a kid named Peck (Keir Gilchrist) whose parents (Cross and Adam Arkin) force him to compete in a science fair (according to IMDb). There also seems to be some romance to the story, as Variety says that the kid "develops an unlikely friendship with the school's golden girl."

Let it be known that little live but lies,
Love-lies, and god-lies, and lies-to-please. Dylan Thomas

Back in 2006, I couldn't say that I was itching to see The Edge of Love, which was then titled The Best Time of Our Lives. Keira Knightley was attached to star, which wasn't surprising since her mom wrote the script, but Lindsay Lohan was attached to co-star. LiLo was already getting into tabloid trouble and it seemed like a slap in the face to Dylan Thomas fans, and a moment of insanity within the casting powers that be. Luckily, she dropped out, and Sienna Miller stepped in.

Now, finally, we've got a trailer. I could do without the first pointless closeup of Keira's face, but the trailer soon goes through the basics of the story, and it's looking like a sweet literary drama. Edge focuses on the love triangle between Caitlin (Miller) and Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) and friend Vera Phillips (Knightley), and how this led Vera's husband, William Killick (Cillian Murphy), to open fire on the Thomas home with a machine gun and hand grenade in retaliation. Normally, I get a bit perturbed about literary dramas that focus on the romance rather than the writer, but this is a strange story, and it looks like it was captured well for the big screen.

I'd be remiss to not mention that this certainly has Atonement similarities (although one quote in the movie says that this flick is better!), but as a Thomas fan, I'm hoping it can shine in its own light.

The Edge of Love currently has no US release date, but is scheduled to arrive in the UK at the end of June.

For those just joining us, The Edge of Love is a semi-biopic of *poet Dylan Thomas that's currently filming in some bog in the U.K. (When I tried to interview one of the stars, Cillian Murphy, by phone for a Tribeca film a couple of weeks ago, I was told that he was "filming somewhere so remote that he's even unreachable by phone.") The story of Edge will revolve around a bitter rivalry between two of the poet's muses, who will be played by Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller. Lindsay Lohan was originally set to play the Miller role, but this became one of the many films she's opted out of lately. Thomas will be played by Matthew Rhys, Miller will play his wife Caitlin, while Knightley has the role of a chlidhood friend and Murphy is the friend's husband. Got all that? Okay, good. We now have, from a gossip rag, the first pic from the film, of Keira Knightley looking very dowdy and black-haired. She's got the whole 'jealous harpy' thing going on, I think.

By the way, if you're wondering how rising star Murphy got aced out of what would seem like the plum role -- the poet himself -- from what we know of the film it seems like he actually has the good part. His jealous husband character is actually a military nut who ends up attacking Thomas with a machine gun and a grenade! No doubt he'll make the most of that. One final note about the film -- there are two different titles floating around for it, the one mentioned above and The Best Times of our Lives, which I could have sworn was the official title up until a couple weeks ago. I have to say I'm not really crazy about either of them. They should put their thinking caps on while there's still time and come up with something better, don't you agree?

*I originally wrote Irish poet, while thinking of Irishman Cillian Murphy.

In Steve Buscemi's new film Interview, Sienna Miller plays an actress much like Lindsay Lohan -- an actress who is more known for her off-screen antics than her on-screen performances (after the whole Jude Law fiasco, you can probably shove Miller into that category as well). So, it's only fitting that Miller would be the one chosen to replace Lohan in The Best Times of Our Lives, a period drama based on a very real night in the life of poet Dylan Thomas. We told you last week how Lohan dropped out of the film (which was set to start filming this week) due to problems with her contract. Unlike Lohan (who's bailed on roughly four different projects in the last year), Miller has managed to take on every role she's signed up for; following the recent Factory Girl, Miller will star in the aforementioned Interview, this summer's Stardust and the recently completed Michael Chabon adaptation, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.

Starring Keira Knightley, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys, The Best Times of Our Lives (and no, something tells me that Green Day song will not be on the soundtrack) was written by Sharman Macdonald, who also happens to be Knightley's mom. Pic revolves around a rivalry between the two women in Dylan Thomas' (Rhys) life: His wife Caitlin (Miller), and his childhood friend Vera (Knightley). Apparently, at one point, Vera's husband William (Murphy) gets so fed up with his wife's close relationship to the poet that he attacks the dude's house with a machine gun and a grenade. Ah, those poets and their crazy ideas of a fun Friday night at home. There's no word on whether the Lohan snafu has delayed production; most likely, things are still right on schedule. So, here's where you get to decide: Is Miller an adequate replacement? (Then again, when it comes to Lohan, even 13 year-old Dakota Fanning would have turned in a more convincing performance.)

Well it's a new day and, yes, Lindsay Lohan has apparently dropped out of another movie. For those of you keeping count at home, this marks the fourth film La Lohan has bailed on in the past year. Life&Style Weekly claims to have the exclusive scoop, saying Lohan passed on The Best Times of Our Lives (which was to begin production next week) because she wasn't happy with changes that were being made to her contract. While it's the fourth film she's bolted from, this is the first time the whole "shady contract" reason was given.

In the past, Lohan has ditched a project because she's either been "too busy" or "not interested in working with anyone who isn't a big name director." Oh, and she did have to take a brief hiatus from a project due to a stint in rehab -- but before that, folks on the set of Georgia Rule were pissed that the girl was showing up late or, in some "heat exhaustion" cases, not showing up at all. If you or I were to pull these kinds of stunts at our jobs, we'd be fired in an instant. But, see, in Hollywood the rules are reversed -- the more drama you cause, the more people write about you and, subsequently, the more people show up to watch you on the big screen. See, it's the little things that make the entertainment industry so damn special.

It's probably best that La Lohan dropped out, as I could not see her in this role at all. Based on the real-life story of a night in the life of poet Dylan Thomas, Lohan was supposed to star alongside Keira Knightley, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys. This isn't to say Lohan's appearance would have cheapened what, essentially, looks like a pretty interesting film -- well, okay, I guess I am saying that. Here's hoping they find an adequate replacement on such short notice, or else The Best Times of Our Lives might turn into The Worst Production of the Year.

It's too bad that this Dylan Thomas biopic is filming now and not 10-20 years ago, because Tony Goldwyn looks a hell of a lot like the poet. Nevertheless, I guess that Matthew Rhys is a decent subsitute. No, this isn't Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the Match Point star. He's got his own bag of period pieces to star in. This Rhys is the man who plays Kevin Walker on that television show, Brothers and Sisters, and who played Demitrius in Julie Taymor's flipping wonderful Titus. With him and Cillian Murphy joining the cast, we've got four players in a rather dangerous true story.

The film will center on a love triangle between Thomas, his wife Caitlin (Lindsay Lohan) and his childhood friend Vera Phillips (Keira Knightley), who was married to a man named William Killick (who will be played by Murphy). Less than happy about his wife's close relationship with Thomas, and being less-than-centered after a military mission in Greece, he grabbed a machine gun, a grenade, and then attacked the poet's house. While no one was hurt, it's a bit of emotional overkill, don't you think? And then there's Murphy cast as a crazed man under great stress. I just can't imagine it! Okay, I can. With the cheeky title of The Best Time of Our Lives, the feature will begin shooting this May. So, now the question becomes: will production run smoothly, or should we get some popcorn and prepare for La Lohan Round two, three, or whatever number it is now?