Can you believe it's almost May? Another month of 2008 is almost over, and we've got more casting news, courtesy of Variety:

• New York, I Love You already has a flipping huge and intrigue-inducing cast that ranges from Ethan Hawke to Julie Christie. Now we've got two more players in the mix. Both Carla Gugino (Sin City) and Goran Visnjic (Elektra) have signed on for a segment directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev. There's no word on what this segment will focus on, but I'll go out on a limb and say it'll feature some sort of love in New York City.
• Then there's a young actress by the name of Emilie De Ravin. If you're one of those Lost fiends out there, she's Claire Littleton in the series. On the big screen side of things, she had a lead gig in The Hills Have Eyes. But now she gets to deal with some Public Enemies. While enemies usually aren't a desirable sort of group to hang with, this melange has Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane, David Wenham ... basically, a ton of great actors, plus a bunch of beloved indie boys from the '90s. According to IMDb, she'll play Anna Patzke.
• Finally, there's the girl who made the world of Gossip Girl all the more intriguing -- Ms. Serena van der Woodsen herself, Blake Lively. She's picked up a lead role in the upcoming film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, which stars Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder. There's no word on who she will play in the feature.

It's almost like the beginning of a joke: "A Hasidic Jew and Natalie Portman are walking down the street in New York ..." Only problem is it's far from a joke ... it's all kinda real and kinda not good. The other day we shared photos from the set of the upcoming anthology New York, I Love You, featuring Portman walking alongside a Hasidic Jew on the Brooklyn Bridge. Apparently, Portman is playing a Jewish bride in the film -- problem is, the real Jews aren't so happy about who's starring opposite her.

Turns out the Hasidic Jew filming the scene with Portman was, in fact, a real Hasidic Jew, and his community was not happy after the photos leaked online. Abe Karpen, a kitchen cabinet salesman from Brooklyn and married father of three, told the New York Daily News that he's backing out of the movie because of the pressure he's feeling. "They [the rabbis] didn't like the ideas of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood. I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out."

Well that sucks. But the good news for you Jewish guys out there -- Portman speaks Hebrew! Oh yes, according to Karpen, "I was shocked that she's a big Hollywood big shot. We talked in Hebrew ... She wants to become more religious." (Keep in mind, some Hasidic Jews do not believe in are not allowed to watching television or film, so that's probably why he doesn't know who she is.) No word yet on Karpen's replacement, though I imagine the filmmakers will tone down the authenticity with their next casting choice.