Christian Bale Will Hunt Johnny Depp to the Ends of the Earth

American Gangster Jr.: Christian Bale, who after 3:10 to Yuma and The Dark Knight apparently hasn’t had enough of grimacing heroically while his more flamboyant co-star has all the fun, signs on to Michael Mann’s period gangster epic Public Enemies as a lawman leading a manhunt for Johnny Depp’s John Dillinger. [Variety]

Ryan, Kinnear Are in the Zone: Paul Greengrass is just about the last man in Hollywood who could get an Iraq-war movie green-lit at this point, and that’s exactly what he did with an untitled Matt Damon–starring Baghdad-set thriller based on Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s nonfiction book Imperial Life in the City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone. As pic goes into production this week, Greengrass adds Greg Kinnear and critic’s ultradarling Amy Ryan to the cast. [Variety]

Noel Coward, Jessica Biel Share Industry Item: Noted tea-party wit Jessica Biel will star in a feature adaptation of Noel Coward’s 1924 play Easy Virtue, opposite Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas. If they can keep the subject matter under wraps, the title might still bring in Biel’s base. [HR]

Quinn Starts Conversations: Why, Aidan Quinn, you old so-and-so! Where’ve you been? We were worried about you! Congratulations on joining the cast of Richard Nelson’s Conversations in Tusculum at the Public Theater, opposite David Strathairn, Brian Dennehy, and Gloria Reuben. [Playbill]

Freak Adds Hirsute Hayek: Salma Hayek, fresh off maternity leave, will play the sexiest bearded lady ever opposite John C. Reilly in Paul Weitz’s YA horror drama Cirque du Freak. [Variety]

Civic! At the Disco: The music and automotive industries’ weirdest joint tradition returns for an eighth year as Panic! At the Disco topline the 2008 Honda Civic Tour, which will showcase a new Honda hybrid designed by members of Panic! at each tour stop. Seriously. We guess we won’t be cracking jokes when the floodwaters come, so — good on ya, boys! [Billboard]