Talk about a wacky supporting cast, Variety has just announced the names of folks who have just signed on to star opposite Kevin Costner in Swing Vote -- and the list is about as diverse as they come. Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez and newbie Madeline Carroll will join Costner in a comedy that revolves around a working-class single dad who becomes the most important man on the planet when the entire presidential election comes down to his vote. I'm not sure how on earth that would ever happen (is he voting after all the votes are counted?), but I'm sure writers Joshua Michael Stern and Jason Richman found a way to make it somewhat believable. Perhaps they can work some of that magic and also make Kevin Costner a bankable star again? Or is that asking a bit too much?

For their part, Hopper and Grammer will play the Democratic and Republican candidates respectively, with Lane and Tucci as their campaign managers. Lopez will show up as a local TV station manager for the town that gets caught up in all the hoopla. Dennis Hopper for President? I can certainly dig it. The film, which will be directed by Joshua Michael Stern, begins shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 23. I'm curious to see how they spin this one -- will Grammer play villain; the guy who will do just about anything to win Costner's vote? Or will they decide not to choose sides, and simply play up to the difficult decision one small town guy eventually has to make? Costner financed the film himself through his Treehouse Films, and we'll all get to see who the next big-screen President will be when the film hits theaters next year (just in time for our next real presidential election).

Hollywood loves talking dogs. And I guess a lot of moviegoers love them too, because otherwise Hollywood wouldn't keep making them. Later this summer, we have a super-powered talking dog in Underdog and in two years, we'll be getting a super-sized talking dog movie called South of the Border. I say super-sized because the live-action Disney movie is going to have a lot of talking dogs in it. Drew Barrymore will be voicing the lead dog, a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua named Chloe, who ends up lost in Mexico while on vacation with her owner (Piper Perabo). As you'd expect, the little dog meets a bunch of new friends to help her find her way.

Most of the other dogs will be voiced by Latino actors, including Salma Hayek, who plays a spirit guide who helps Chloe learn her Hispanic roots, and George Lopez, who plays another Chihuahua who attempts to woo Chloe. Other unspecified roles have been cast with Cheech Marin (who voiced the cartoon Chihuahua character in Disney's Oliver & Company), Paul Rodriguez, Plácido Domingo, Edward James Olmos and Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo. Andy Garcia will also be voicing a dog, one which doesn't seem to be of the Latino variety. The Cuban actor is voicing an ex-K-9 German Shepherd. I assume that the character will have a German accent (as long as they're going so racial) and that he will end up the true love interest for Chloe -- though I don't think this is physically appropriate.

There's something vaguely schizophrenic about the career arcs of filmmakers Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant. (And by "vaguely" I mean "ridiculously.") On one hand they're the co-creators of stuff like The State and Reno 911!, both of which are certifiably hilarious TV shows. On the other, less enjoyable, hand, these guys wrote not only The Pacifier, but Taxi and Herbie: Fully Loaded as well. (And they also have Let's Go to Prison and Night at the Museum on the way, as well as the Reno 911! movie.)

Mr. Garant makes his directorial debut on a bizarre-looking ping-pong comedy called Balls of Fury, and before you check out the brand-new trailer, give a gander at the blissfully bizarre cast list: Dan Fogler, Maggie Q, George Lopez, Aisha Tyler, James Hong, David Koechner and Christopher Walken, looking as if he just wandered off the set of Dracula: The Spoof.

OK, now you can check the trailer out. I got a few chuckles out of the thing, even if it does feel more like a Netflix rental than an opening night gotta-see.

Chris Evans has reportedly agreed to turn in his white-hot Human Torch tights and appear as Officer Jon Baker, better known as partner to one Officer Francis L. Poncherello of CHiPs fame. That role will be filled by Wilmer Valderrama as these two hop on motorcycles and take this early 80s show onto the big screen.

Unlike the rumored previous casting of George Lopez and Matthew Perry, at least Evans and Valderrama both look marginally like their TV counterparts, although Evans could probably never pull off the wholesomeness that Larry Wilcox always managed to convey. Erik Estrada has a slightly sleazy edge to his Ponch, but you could imagine Wilcox sipping a tall glass of milk while staring off into space, dreaming about the better life. He was the ultimate motorcycle-ridin' Boy Scout.

Memo to Hollywood: At this point, just about everything from my childhood days has been strip-mined to oblivion, leaving only the PBS memories untouched. Please start making some original material before The Great Space Coaster: The Movie opens at my local multiplex.

Friday's bits and pieces:

• First Look has picked up the worldwide rights to this year's Sundance hit, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. The autobiographical film, which is based on parts of director Dito Montiel's memoirs, didn't particularly impress either James or The Hollywood Reporter's Duane Byrge; you can decided for yourself this fall, when the movie is expected to hit theaters.

• According to the latest scuttlebutt, Angelina Jolie might just be spending some (professional, of course) time with George Clooney in the near future. Rumor has it that Brad Pitt is trying to persuade her to join him in Ocean's Thirteen, though who Jolie would play has of course not been discussed -- with this sort of story, it's the idea of the two of them on screen together that's fun. Details, schmetails.
  

• This morning's Hollywood Reporter offers some more details on the rapidly expanding cast of Balls of Fury which, when it comes to buzz, just might be the next Snakes on a Plane. And if it's not, you people are just not paying attention -- it's Christopher Walken! It's ping-pong! I mean, come ON! Joining Walken in the dark underworld of the pong are George Lopez, who will play an FBI agent bent on taking Walken down, and Maggie Q as "the sexy niece of...Master Wong," the master of the paddle who is brought in to train the FBI's pong-plant (that'll be Dan Fogler). How can you resist any of this?

• Until today, P.D.R. -- the based-on-a-true-story movie about a heroic swim coach and the tough youths he straighted out -- had nothing but testosterone on board. Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac are set to costar, while Diana Ross' son Evan, who made an impressive debut in ATL, will play one of the kids. Now, though, there's finally a woman around (Perhaps she'll hang some curtains. Or maybe do some dusting.): Kimberly Elise has come on board as the female lead.
  

In a mighty combination of family-friendly TV sitcom power comedians Tim Allen and George Lopez will be teaming up to bring you a rollicking family comedy. The story (apparently based on an idea of Allen's) will follow the zany adventures of some "mismatched in-laws" who have to work through their differences to raise their grandchild. I can feel the painful attempts at stereotypical humor from here, folks. Ha-ha, it's funny because they're from different cultures and do things that the other guy doesn't understand! Now if only they could bring Ray Romano and Bernie Mac on board this film would be an unstoppable juggernaut of family-themed mediocre humor.

Oh, and the film will be called ... Amigos. I swear I'm not kidding.