Casting bites: Michael Sheen, Jaime Winstone

Here's your selection of quick casting updates for May 16, 2009:

• Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair in "The Queen" and David Frost in "Frost/Nixon," and Paddy Considine, whose credits include "In America" and "My Summer of Love," will star in Richard Ayoade's feature debut "Submarine." The flick follows a teenager trying to lose his virginity all while doing what he can to save his parents' marriage. (Variety)

• Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone and Daniel Mays are the latest to join Sally Hawkins and Bob Hoskins in Nigel Cole's ("Calendar Girls") "We Want Sex." Written by William Ivory, the flick focuses on the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Monica Bellucci has boarded Jon Turteltaub's comedy "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which also stars Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer and Toby Kebbell. Bellucci is playing a sorceress and lost love of Cage's character. Bellucci's credits include "Shoot 'Em Up" and "The Matrix Reloaded." (Variety)

• John Goodman is in talks to join Orlando Bloom and Vincent Cassel in Andrew Niccol's "The Cross," which follows Bloom as he seeks to cross a mysterious border. Niccol also directed "Lord of War" and Goodman recently starred in "Speed Racer" and "Confessions of a Shopaholic." (Variety)

Sally Hawkins gears up to protest in 'We Want Sex'

British actress Sally Hawkins has signed on to star in "We Want Sex."

Written by Billy Ivory and directed by Simon Curtis, the flick focuses on the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant.

More than 800 women protested "against sexual discrimination in their job performance evaluations," according to Variety.

Resulting from the strike was a significant advancement in the women's rights movement, as well as equal pay for working women.

The trade also says Imelda Staunton is in talks to play Barbara Castle, employment secretary for Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Castle invited the strike committee to tea.

The title, which sounds indeed a bit provocative, is a reference to a protest banner that read "We Want Sex Equality."

Hawkins recently won a Golden Globe for her performance in "Happy-Go-Lucky." She also starred in "Cassandra's Dream."