Beaks here...

With the June start date for PAUL fast approaching, it's about time the geek road trip movie - starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (who also wrote the screenplay), and directed by Greg Mottola - started filling out its cast. Given the talent involved, it's hardly a surprise to learn that it's attracting some of the funniest funny-people in the business.

According to Variety's Michael Fleming, Seth Rogen has been cast as the voice of the alien discovered at Area 51 by Pegg and Frost (if this isn't entirely accurate, know that I'm working solely from Variety's plot summary because I don't want to read the script). Joining Rogen in as-yet-unspecified roles are Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, Kristen Wiig and Big Bill Hader. The only way this gets better? They admit the whole alien thing is a ruse and announce they're remaking HOOPER.

Peter at Slashfilm says PAUL kicks off with Pegg and Frost leaving Comic Con (wonder if Mottola is nuts enough to shoot in San Diego this July) and incorporates references to STAR WARS, BACK TO THE FUTURE and ALIENS. I assume these are movies.

PAUL is a joint venture between Universal and Working Title.