Blue Ribbon: John Krasinski is in talks to join Ginnifer Goodwin in Alcon’s romantic comedy Something Borrowed, which follows a Manhattan attorney (Goodwin), “the consummate good girl,†who falls for her best friend’s fiancé. Borrowed is based on the first of a series of novels by Emily Giffin; the rights to the second book, Something Blue, have already been picked up by Alcon. Krasiniski’s deal is unusual in that he would have a minimal role in the first film — as Goodwin’s friend — but then become the male lead in the second movie … which totally gives away how the first film is going to end, now doesn’t it? [HR]
Cheeseheads!: Robert DeNiro will take on the role of Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi in Lombardi, with a script to come from Eric Roth (The Good Shepherd). ESPN Films and the NFL will co-produce the picture with Andell Entertainment and DeNiro’s Tribeca Productions. ESPN will be heavily involved in promoting the film and already has plans to release it the week before the Super Bowl in 2012. It’s safe to say Chris Berman and Erin Andrews will be making cameos in this somewhere. [Deadline]
Post-Precious: Gabourey Sidibe has officially signed on for a recurring role in The Big C, the upcoming Showtime dark-comedy series starring Laura Linney as a teacher with terminal cancer. In her first role since earning an Oscar nomination for Precious, Sidibe will play a “smart-aleck student†in Linney’s class. Sidibe really goes for the light stuff, huh? [Variety]
Rare Movie Title That Also Works As Olivia Wilde Maxim-Spread Headline: Keri Russell is in negotiations to star opposite Will Arnett in Fox’s comedy Wilde Kingdom. The show centers on a “Beverly Hills jackass†(Arnett) who falls in love with a “tree-hugging woman†(Russell) who can’t stand the way he lives his life. If the tree-hugger thing gives you pause, this should make you feel better: Mitch Hurwitz, the creator of Arrested Development, is directing and co-writing the pilot. [HR]
Brother Jimmy: Jimmy Smits will star in and executive produce NBC’s untitled John Eisendrath pilot focused on a Supreme Court justice (Smits) who leaves the Court to go into private practice and “fight constitutional injustices,†which is something you’re always hearing about Supreme Court justices doing. [HR]
She’ll Be Back: Judy Greer will star opposite David Krumholtz (Numb3rs) in the Fox comedy pilot Tax Man. Set at an IRS office in Fresno filled with eccentric characters, the environment is shaken up by the arrival of a former Morgan Stanley secretary nicknamed the Terminator (Greer). Though her character’s nickname gives us hope, we’re just going to assume Greer is — as ever — playing a hotter actress’ BFF, until we see something that proves the contrary. [HR]