The Hollywood Reporter is ... reporting that the great Alec Baldwin has joined the cast of the Dane Cook comedy (isn't that an oxymoron?) Bachelor No. 2. Baldwin was not expected to take on any acting work before resuming his Emmy - nominated role on one of the funniest comedies on television -- 30 Rock -- this month. I guess the opportunity to work on a project of this caliber was too difficult to resist. In the film, Cook will play Tank, a guy who is "hired to take girls on horrible dates so they crawl back to the boyfriends they dumped." Tank "struggles with his libido and the meaning of friendship when his best pal needs his help with the girl who dumped him." That girl will be played by Oscar-nominee Kate Hudson, who you'd think would be fleeing from this genre after the dismal You Me and Dupree.

It took me about five minutes of re-reading the plot descriptions of both films that Bachelor No. 2 is different from the upcoming Cook vehicle Good Luck Chuck. Chuck, opening September 21st, is about a guy who girls want to have sex with so they can meet the man they're going to marry. But then he falls for one of them. Um ... really? These movies don't strike anyone as a trifle similar? Oh well. Cook has got the right idea knocking out as many film roles as he possibly can, while he can. I imagine we're about two years away from never hearing his name again. First-timer Jordan Cahan wrote the script for Bachelor, and Howard Deutch is directing. Deutch had a glorious run directing John Hughes scripts in the 80's -- he did Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and The Great Outdoors, but it's all kind of been downhill from there. Speaking of Bachelor No. 2, why don't I take this opportunity to recommend the excellent Aimee Mann album of the same name?

I'm not sure whether Dane Cook is moving up in the big-screen world, or down. So far he's gone from Jessica Simpson (Employee of the Month) to Jessica Alba (Good Luck Chuck) and, now, to Kate Hudson for his upcoming comedy Bachelor No. 2. Well, one thing's for sure -- he's decided to ditch the Jessicas. Variety reports that Hudson has signed on to star opposite Cook in the film, which was penned by Jordan B. Cahan and will be directed by Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink). Production is set to begin this August in Boston (Cook's hometown, I believe) with Manangement 360, Terra Films and Cook's Superfinger Entertainment producing.

In all fairness, I think Cook finally found a role that suits him perfectly; one that allows him to utilize the raunchy style of comedy that made him famous in the first place. In Bachelor No. 2, he'll play a guy hired by men who have recently been dumped to take out their ex-girlfriends and show them a miserable time. The idea is that they'll be so disgusted and turned off by what is out there, they'll immediately run back to their old boyfriend who'll lovingly welcome them with open arms. However, problems arise when Cook's character is asked to take out the ex-girlfriend of his best friend who, I assume, will be played by Hudson (the ex-girlfriend, not the best friend). The two hit it off, he screws over his best friend and the moral of the story will be ...

I've always had a thing for Hudson (she was my celebrity crush in our Cinematical/Moviefone poll), but the girl is killing me with all these romantic comedies. Do something different Kate! I really want to pimp your skills, but you're giving me absolutely nothing to work with. You, Me and Dupree? Raising Helen? Alex & Emma? And what's next -- Fool's Gold with Matthew McConaughey? I guess I'll just have to keep watching Almost Famous over and over until the girl finally gives us a role worth talking about.