Here's a round-up of today's news:

• Jamie Kennedy is going to produce an indie called In Northwood, which stars Nick Stahl as a man condemned to a mental hospital after committing murder. THR
• Cocaine Cowboys has picked itself up a scribe -- gonzo journalist and screenwriter Evan Wright. THR
  
• Everyone's favorite pot-smoking Jay, aka Jason Mewes, has nabbed a starring role in the indie slasher flick Silent But Deadly, which shoots in Ontario next month. Variety
• Phillip Noyce, meanwhile, is going to hit the plank and write the remake of Captain Blood. THR
• Check out Jennifer's blood-dripping lips, which just so happens to look like a certain television poster that was released recently. JoBlo
  
• Get ready for Robot Chicken: Star Wars: Episode 2! Coming Soon
• Posters: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne

In case you didn't spot it earlier this week, Kevin Smith slipped a peek at the supporting cast for Zack and Miri Make a Porno into his MySpace blog. It's nestled amongst remembrances of the late, great George Carlin and other morsels.

This picture is awesome, and not because you can get a look at what everyone will look like in the film. Look at their faces. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these six people are witnessing something porn-esque, and the variety of expressions is priceless. Traci Lords looks a little unnerved. Katie Morgan looks unimpressed. But best of all is Jason Mewes. First, he looks ready and willing to get in on the action -- legs spread, face serious, anxious posture. (Pinch hitter, perhaps?) Secondly, what's with the beer? On-set hops enjoyment?

This definitely won't be our usual Halloween fare when Smith's latest opens on October 31, and I'm thinking that's a good thing.

[via JoBlo]

Cinematical has just confirmed that The Weinstein Co. plans to release Zack and Miri Make a Porno on October 31, 2008 (aka, Halloween babyyyyyy!). The film, which recently wrapped production, is currently in post-production -- where Smith is editing in HD, using Adrenaline, which he claims "crashes at least twice a night" according to statements he's made on his message board. Thus, he's gotten used to hitting the save button. Zack and Miri stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as two platonic friends who, hard up for cash, decide to make an adult film. At some point during the process, however, they begin to have "more than friends" feelings for one another.

The film also stars Smith regulars Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson, as well as Traci Lords, Craig Robinson, Tom Savini and Smith's hottie wife, Jennifer. Recently, Smith stopped by his site to offer up a second summary of his time in production, where he noted that he kinda wants to keep things under wraps for awhile: " I want folks to discover the flick for themselves, instead of me jamming it down their throats. I'm also gonna try to keep from over-selling it with hyperbole and absolutes. I'll let you guys apply those (good or bad) when the time comes. Just know that we had a problem-free, productive shoot in which everyone was firing on all cylinders and the result was THE FUNNIEST F**KING MOVIE WE'VE EVER MADE!!!"

Once again, Zack and Miri Make a Porno will arrive in theaters on October 31. Oscar push?? Maybe???

I guess hearing musical numbers about different celebrities f**king each other is going to be all the rage for the next little while. On the heels of the highly successful Sarah Silverman/Matt Damon gag, and the only slightly less funny revenge song courtesy of Silverman's boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Affleck, comes a contribution from Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks from the set of Zack and Miri make a Porno (courtesy of Quick Stop Entertainment)

It's pretty much the same jokes as the other two videos but with one notable difference; this time there is not a 'bleep' to be heard. Honestly, maybe that's what's missing; sometimes a well-placed bleep can almost be funnier than the naughty word itself. But, this is marketing for a Kevin Smith movie after all, so get ready for some truly crude lyrics; funny, but kind of gross. As for the cameos? Don't go looking for any A-listers in this video, but Jason Mewes, Traci Lords and Craig Robinson all make a brief appearance (but I guess they kind of had too since they are in the movie after all).

Smith and company are still shooting the romantic comedy about two childhood friends who get into the porn business. Rehearsal finished back in January and now Smith has begun shooting on location in *Chicago. Zack and Miri make a Porno is scheduled for release later this year. As for this 'I'm F**cking ____", craze, I can only image who might come up with one next? Hilary Clinton is f**king Obama? Not to mention, it is getting just a little less funny each time -- where is the next 'D**k in a Box' when you really need it?

*Correction: Smith is shooting in Pittsburgh

While there's no photos yet, Kevin Smith has filed his first report from the set of Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The film, Smith's eighth, will begin shooting on Wednesday, and so far they've gone through two days of rehearsals with a bunch of the cast. According to Smith, they still need to do camera tests (today) and then location rehearsing next Tuesday before cameras officially roll. In the film, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star as two lifelong friends who, strapped for cash, decide to make a porno. Once they start to get their feet wet, however, both begin to realize they may have "like, like" feelings for one another. As far as other cast members go, IMDb lists Smith regular Jason Mewes, as well as another regular Jeff Anderson and comedian Jim Norton (who's rumored). Honestly, if there's porn involved, Norton needs to make an appearance. I truly hope that rumor is true.

Smith fans should find plenty of good stuff in this first report. In it, he compares rehearsals on Zack and Miri to each one of his films; how much prep work went into, say, Clerks versus Clerks 2 versus Chasing Amy versus Dogma versus all the other ones. On whether Smith feels Rogen and Banks are good for their respective roles, he notes: "Rogen and Banks are genius together (and apart - which, in the flick, is extremely rare): hilarious and rather sweet and touching when called for. The roles fit them like gloves. Shit, better than gloves: the roles fit them like condoms. Like custom-made condoms, even." Scope out his first report over here; Zack and Miri Make a Porno will hopefully hit theaters at some point later this year.

Not long ago, Kevin Smith told fans on his blog that he had all but cast both lead roles in the upcoming Zack & Miri Make a Porno. Well Variety tells us today who actually nabbed the parts, and it turned out to be Seth Rogen (who'd been rumored for awhile) and Elizabeth Banks -- both of which are excellent choices, in my opinion. Rogen and Banks also appeared together in The 40 Year Old Virgin, but neither have ever shown up in a Kevin Smith film. Shooting is set to begin this January in Pittsburgh, but there's currently no word on a release date.

Zack & Miri Make a Porno revolves around two platonic friends who, strapped for cash and in debt, decide to make a porno with help from some friends. Problems arise when both Zack and Miri realize they may have "more than friends" feelings for one another. For awhile Jason Bateman was said to be up for a role, but he denied that. And Rosario Dawson was up for the Miri role, but she opted to take on another project due to scheduling conflicts. The only additional cast members we know of at this time are Jason Mewes and IMDb also lists Jeff Anderson (both are long-time Smith collaborators). I love this mix between the Smith and Apatow crews -- both writer/directors are tremendous when it comes to pop-centric dialogue, and I have a feeling that Zack & Miri will not only go down as one of Smith's best films, but it will also be the one that snags him duckets at the box office. Rogen? Banks? You like?

Minnesotta. The land of ten thousand lakes, cold winters, and some Great Lake-front property. It's the state responsible for Brenda and Brandon Walsh. It's where one heck of an Overnight Delivery was sent. It's also the state where you want to make porn. Err... Well, it was said to be the state Kevin Smith was traveling to for his upcoming comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Not anymore. Smith found a much better state suited for 30-somethings looking to start an amateur porn business -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

His View Askew message board has been heating up with bits of news about the upcoming comedy focusing on Zack and Miri, two people who have reached their thirties, have rent problems and a reunion looming, and decide to get into the amateur porn business. The location was moved to Pittsburgh, because it's cheaper (and coincidentally, it happens to be 10 years after the last time he shot there), it will include studio and location shooting over a roughly 40-day period, and Smith hopes to have some news about who will join Jason Mewes on the cast in the next few weeks. In the meantime, we can muse. My vote: Eliza Dushku could make tough girl, fighter porn with a different Dawson, James Van Der Beek, who can pull off some loserishness and toughness -- because every amateur needs a special talent. I don't know why, but my brain refuses to think of anyone else. Who would you cast as some young 30-somethings who get into porn, and just what would their specialty be?

[Via Canoe]

One of the films I'm most excited to see this fall is Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck's directorial debut. The film has already received lots of Oscar buzz, but is that a curse or a blessing for Affleck's first time behind the camera? Granted, he's working off strong material in that the flick is based on a book written by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), and he has one heckuva cast to boot -- but if the film is a huge success, will the expectations for Affleck's next directorial gig become too great? Something tells me he's not thinking that far ahead; Affleck has already gone on record saying this film will either make or break his Hollywood career -- saying, at one point, "It's pretty simple. If people don't go see it -- I'm f**ked." If you compared it to baseball, I guess you could say Affleck is batting in the ninth inning of game seven of the World Series with two outs, a man on third and his team down by a run.

Here's my theory on Ben Affleck: He needs to play the villain (or d*ck) more often. Two of my all-time favorite Affleck performances came from the films Boiler Room and Dazed and Confused -- both of which found him taking on the role of a**hole. In fact, his monologue halfway through Boiler Room ranks up there as one of my favorites ... ever. When he plays the good guy -- the dude you want to get the girl -- it just doesn't work. Hopefully we'll see more of that from him in the future. In the meantime, Gone Baby Gone held its premiere in Hollywood last night, and we've got a gallery full of photos for you to check out. Note: Why does Casey Affleck always look like he's three minutes away from crapping his pants? And if there's ever one guy in desperate need of a sun tan, it's Jason Mewes. So check out the photos below, and we'll be bringing you our review of Gone Baby Gone when it hits theaters on October 19.

For those out there who saw this headline and thought their dreams had finally come true, get ready for a major disappointment. MTV Movie News spoke with director Kevin Smith about his two new films, Red State -- a horror film that revolves around a fanatical religious leader, and the comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. First up is Zack and Miri, and that's where Dawson comes in. Smith told MTV, "I wrote [the role of Miri ] for Rosario Dawson, I'd be kind of flabbergasted if she didn't do it". Unfortunately, when MTV contacted Dawson's reps they said that, "no deal is in place at the moment" -- with the emphasis on "the moment", I would expect. The comedy centers on two old high school friends who meet up at their reunion and decide to go into the amateur porn business, and the film marks the first time Smith has written a female lead.

Last month, Erik had news of a script excerpt released to Entertainment Weekly, but at the time no casting had been finalized. Now, Smith has confirmed that long-time co-star Jason Mewes, and Clerks alum Jeff Anderson are both signed on to appear. Smith had worked with Dawson on Clerks II and the two seemed to hit it off. Considering Dawson seems to be a bit of a comic book nerd herself, I am sure they have plenty to talk about. Smith is planning on having Porno done by Christmas, and then he's off to start shooting Red State in February or March of next year. Since Dawson's other commitment, Poor Things, might have hit a snag, she could have some free time coming up in her schedule.

Now that he's apparently back on the wagon and sober, Jason Mewes is looking to make something out of his career ... by starring in really crappy movies. I'll admit it: I've never seen Mewes in anything other than a Kevin Smith film, so I guess it's wrong of me to judge. But I'm going to go ahead and judge anyway: His films stink.

Part of me almost wanted to check out Bottom's Up, but the thought of having to watch Paris Hilton try to act for an hour and a half was just too much to handle. Besides, I didn't have a decent enough vomit bucket nearby. In saying that, Mewes has landed a role in Netherbeast Incorporated, to be directed by Dean Matthew Ronalds. (Okay, how many people ask "Dean Ronalds" which school he works for every day? I'm going to say 17.) Pic is said to be a vampire comedy set in the world of America's businesses. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the premise sounds pretty interesting. Lucky for us, Paris Hilton has not been cast. Hmm, seeing as she makes a living sucking the life out of anything remotely interesting, I'm surprised she's not on board.