Aziz Ansari, Terrence Howard sign onto new films: Casting Net

• Parks and Recreation‘s Aziz Ansari is joining Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride in The Apocalypse, in which all the aforementioned actors play themselves, at a party thrown by Franco, during which the Apocalypse begins (i.e. a typical Saturday in Hollywood). Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg are directing from their script. [Grantland]

• Terrence Howard will face off against Colin Farrell in Dead Man Down, as a powerful gangster. Noomi Rapace and Dominic Cooper costar, and Niels Arden Oplev (the 2009 Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) will direct. [Variety]

• Ron Livingston has signed up for Fort Bliss, about a solider (Michelle Monaghan) who comes home from Afghanistan and faces the 5-year-old son she barely knows. Claudia Myers (Kettle of Fish) is directing from her own script. [Variety]

• Sam Shepard (The Notebook) will play Christian Bale and Casey Affleck‘s uncle in Out of the Furnace, director Scott Cooper‘s follow-up to Crazy Heart. It starts shooting later this month. [Variety]

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