And the oldsters keep a rolling along. Last year we had almost-senior citizens fighting a government conspiracy in ‘Red’; next year we’ll have a pair of oldie but goodies fighting off zombies in 18th century England.

According to Screen Daily, Ian McKellen and Judi Dench will star in the comedy ‘The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet,’ about the inhabitants of a small seaside town who are struck down with a deadly illness, turning them into unfeeling creatures who eat anything they can get their hands on. The film, which will be shooting later this year in Scotland, is directed by Matthew Butler and is based on his 2010 short comedy, ‘E’gad, Zombies!’ Also attached to star: Gillian Anderson and Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in the ‘Harry Potter’ films).

The Playlist has reported that actor-screenwriter-director-novelist and TV host Stephen Fry has been cast in the key role of the Master of Laketown in ‘The Hobbit.’ The character is a greedy, but mostly benevolent, ruler of a trading town of men that’s plagued by attacks by an evil dragon. Director Peter Jackson revealed the casting on his Facebook page which, Playlist says, is “how all the cool kids make their casting announcement these days.”

Maggie Gyllenhaal — everyone’s girl next door — is finally taking a shocking role: She’s signed up to star in the supernatural thriller ‘Voice From the Stone,’ which is based on the Italian novel ‘Le Voce della pietra’ by Silvio Raffo. According to Variety, Gyllenhaal will play a nurse trying to help a boy haunted by malevolent forces within the walls of an old house in the Italian countryside.

Topher Grace, whose career since leaving ‘That ’70s Show’ has not been impressive, has been cast opposite Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton in the dramedy ‘Gently Down the Stream.’ Katherine Heigl and Amanda Seyfried also will star. The film, to be written and directed by Justin Zackham (who wrote 2007’s ‘The Bucket List,’), centers on a woman who confronts her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. [The Wrap]