Likable workhorse actor Clifton Collins Jr. has joined the cast of that weirdos doing experiments movie The Experiment. He'll star with other weirdos Forest Whitaker, Elijah Wood, and Adrien Brody. They'll be doing experiments. [Variety]

Gosh, Adam Sandler is so nice. He just keeps casting his old friends. The latest is the beleaguered Tim Meadows, who is joining the reunion comedy Grown Ups. Also in the flick? Once-wases like Norm Macdonald, Colin Quinn, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. Somewhere, Ellen Cleghorne extends a weary hand and plaintively whispers "Me too...?" [THR]

Charlize Theron has signed on with the big boy. She's switched over to the mega-agency poised to take over the world, William Morris Endeavor, where she'll be repped by none other than the golden cussing boy himself Ari Emanuel. What does Vince think about this? [Variety]

Because that Tim Roth show Lie to Me has inexplicably high ratings, they're bringing back two popular guest stars from last season for longer arcs. Once budding movie star turned TV stalwart Mekhi Phifer will be back, as will, well... once budding movie star turned TV stalwart Jennifer Beals. Mekhi is going to be a cast member, whereas Beals will just be that nebulous thing known as a recurring. [THR]

Nimrod Atal, the unfortunately-named director of the way-better-than-decent horror/thriller Vacancy, will helm the upcoming fifth installment in the Predator series. Predators will be about the Predator monster, only there will be plural of them. [Variety]

Very funny regular guy Jason Sudeikis has been quietly racking up a bunch of work. He's slated to next appear in the Justin Long/Drew Barrymore romancer Going the Distance. Sudeikis will play a character named Box. Heh. See? Already funny! [THR]

Whee! Charlie Murphy will be in a new movie, the bizarrely cast comedy Family Wedding. He's joining Forest Whitaker, America Ferrara, and Carlos Mencia. Charlie, we wish we could tell you we're going to see this, but, uh... [Variety]

Some key McCain staffers are content with Palin joking about the "SNL" routines on the campaign trail — as when she scribbled "I'm not Tina Fey" on a supporter's cell phone and said she'd dressed as Fey on Halloween. But others — including the governor herself — think a return punch on the NBC airwaves is what's needed.

I'm hearing some sort of Palin tweak of Fey's American Express commercials is in the works.

While next weekend's ''Saturday Night Live'' will be a rerun, it is possible Palin could appear Thursday on the first of NBC's ''Weekend Update'' specials in prime time.

Otherwise, the next orginal "SNL'' show will be broadcast Oct. 18, a little more than two weeks before the election.

While we're skeptical that Martin Scorsese would return to spoof the famous American Express commercials he made with Fey, at least we know that Palin would be receptive to his pitch for a Boca time share (after all, her two greatest loves are Jews and Cuban food). Perhaps David Zucker is available as a fill-in? Oh, who are we kidding — after this weekend, of course he is!

[Photo Credit: AP]

• Take that, Tina: Palin wants to spoof her spoofer [Chicago Sun-Times]

• Saturday Night Live [NBC]