The Electric Hobbit: Dominic Monaghan joins the ever-expanding cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Barnell, a mutant who can manipulate energy and electricity. David Henney also joins as an expert tracker from the Weapons X program. Wasn’t this movie at one point going to be some kind of solo vehicle for Hugh Jackman? It’s starting to look like G.I. Joe for mutants. [Variety]

Hoffman, Nighy Get Rocked: Looks like Judd Apatow’s Year One will have some competition for awesomest comedy ensemble of 2008 as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy join Rhys Ifans in Richard Curtis’s pirate radio rom-com The Boat That Rocked. [EW]

Weaving To Hunt Wolfman: Hugo Weaving will actually not be playing Elrond, Agent Smith, or Megatron in Universal’s remake of The Wolfman, but will instead portray a police inspector opposite Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Anthony Hopkins. He may even get to smile or something in this one, though given the subject matter, probably not. [Variety]

Coldplay Returns: Coldplay is nearing completion on their fourth and as-yet-untitled solo album, which is set for an early summer release and will be followed by a tour of North America and Europe. With R.E.M.’s new record dropping this spring, U2 needs to hurry up and crank it out so we can have a Most Important Rock Bands Cage Match for the ages. [Billboard]

Robbins, Csokas Seek New Audience: New York stage stalwart Laila Robins will topline Theater for a New Audience’s new production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, which opens at the Duke Theatre in late March, opposite rising movie brooder Marton Csokas. This will offer the underrated Robins the chance to shine in a choice role, and Csokas a chance to live down Aeon Flux. [Playbill]