Mike Myers' New Movie, "The Love Guru", Includes Big Names

Mike Myers' new movie, "The Love Guru," was rounded out this week, with Paramount Pictures announcing major casting for the new comedy film in a press release today.

Stars Jessica Alba, Romany Malco and Verne Troyer will join Myers in the new film, which focuses on Pitka, an American who was abandoned by his parents at an ashram in India and raised by the gurus who lived there. He returns to the United States as an adult and begins working as a self-help expert, helping to solve relationship problems. His greatest challenge comes when he begins working with hockey player Darren Roanoke (Malco) and his estranged wife. The wife begins dating the member of a rival hockey team to spite Roanoke, affecting his playing ability. This does not sit well with the team's owner, Jane Bullard (Alba), or the coach, Cherkov (Troyer). It's up to Pitka to save Roanoke's marriage and get the hockey team back on track to break the 40-year "Bullard Curse" and go to the championships.

The film will begin production this September in Toronto, Canada. The press release did not specify when the movie would be released to theaters.

Myers is an accomplished comedic actor, starring in such films as Wayne's World, So I Married an Axe Murderer, and 54. He is probably best known for his role as Austin Powers, the series of films spoofing spy movies like the James Bond franchise.

Alba, 26, has been acting in movies since the early 1990s. Her feature film debut occurred in 1993, when she starred in the comedy Camp Nowhere. Most recently, she has starred in the original "Fantastic Four" movie, as well as its sequel, "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer," and "Sin City."

Romany Malco has starred in such movies as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Blades of Glory." He also has a role on Showtime's comedy Weeds as Conrad, a small-time drug dealer with big ambitions.

Verne Troyer is best known for his portrayal of "Mini-Me" in the Austin Powers series. He has also starred in episodes of "Boston Public" and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch."

"The Love Guru" is directed by Marco Schnabel. Schnabel previously worked on "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and "Meet the Parents." The film is being produced by Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment. Paramount is a division of media giant Viacom, which also includes MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, and DreamWorks Studios.

Paramount Press Release. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/08-09-2007/0004642823&EDATE=THU+Aug+09+2007,+12:53+PM

"Mike Myers." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000196/

"Jessica Alba." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004695/

"Romany Malco." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539082/

"Verne Troyer." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0873942/