Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Rob Reiner: New projects in Casting Net

* Today in odd movie couple-dom, Jim Parsons and Rihanna will lend their voices to the DreamWorks Animation production Happy Smekday!, an adaptation of Adam Rex's acclaimed children's book The True Meaning of Smekday. The premise: Earth's been invaded by a race of "friendly" aliens called Boov, who have come to our planet to escape their nemeses, the Gorg. After one Boov inadvertently tips off the Gorg that they're on Earth, he ends up traveling across America with a teenage human girl. As one does. [THR]

* Since we're discussing DreamWorks Animation projects, Jason Schwartzman has been offered to star opposite Chloe Moretz in the studio's next film, Trolls. [Deadline]

* Rob Reiner is in negotiations to join Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, playing the father of living-on-the-edge trader Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). Not quite the same resemblance as Martin and Charlie Sheen in Wall Street, but, sure, why not? [THR]

* Edgar Ramirez (Carlos) will play famed 19th century Latin America revolutionary Simón Bolívar in the Venezuelan-Spanish co-production Libertador. Bolívar was instrumental in securing independence from Spain for Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Danny Houston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot), and María Valverde (Three Meters Above the Sky) will costar. Albert Arvelo Mendoza (Cyrano Fernández) will direct from the script by Timothy J. Sexton (Children of Men). [Variety]

* Ryan Phillipe will make his directorial debut and star in Shreveport, about a past-his-prime movie star who is kidnapped and tortured while shooting an indie film in the deep south. Phillipe also penned the script with Joe Gossett. [Variety]

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Casting Net: Tony winner James Corden to play Paul Potts. Plus: Alex Pettyfer, Cam Gigandet, Ed Helms