Marilyn Manson Heads To 'Californication'; Kristin Schaal Voices 'Cloudy 2'; Cobie Smulders Finds 'Safe Haven' & Christopher Meloni Joins 'They Came Together'

(Former) shock rocker (is he all that shocking anymore?) Marilyn Manson seems to be enjoying this whole acting thing. He's done bit parts here and there over the years ("Party Monster" and "Jawbreaker" among them), but it seems he's taking a bigger step toward movie roles. He already has a stint in Quentin Dupieux's "Wrong Cops" and how he's headed to cable. Brian Warner will stretch his wings playing himself in a guest spot on Showtime's "Californication" starring David Duchovny. Production on the series is now underway and you can see the longawaited Manson/Duchovny pairing in 2013 on the seventh season's seventh episode. [THR]

Revenge of the weekend leftovers indeed. Comedianne Kristen Schaal,  a former correspondent on "The Daily Show," best known for roles on "Flight Of The Conchords," and having recently completed a story arc on  "30 Rock," is set to voice a character in Sony Pictures Animation’s sequel to "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs." Titled "Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers," lead actors Anna Faris, Bill Hader and Andy Samberg are expected to reprise their voice roles from the unexpected 2009 animated hit. Cody Cameron ("Open Season 3") and Kris Pearn (a storyboard artist on films like "Arthur Christmas" and "Hotel Transylvania") will direct while John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein ("Horrible Bosses") will pen the screenplay. [THR]

"How I Met Your Mother" star Cobie Smulders, probably best known for playing Maria Hill in "The Avengers" is joining Relativity's "Safe Haven," starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough. Based off a Nicholas Sparks novel, he of trashy, run-of-the-mill love stories, and directed, somewhat predictably by Lasse Hallström (who's already enjoyed Spark-penned success from "Dear John") centers on a young woman (Hough) whose arrival in a small North Carolina town prompts its tight-knit community to question her mysterious past. Smulders will play a local neighbor, likely suspicions of the new vamp in town. Smulders also recently booked a role in the Paul Rudd/Lionsgate rom-com, "They Came Together." [Variety]

Speaking of this "They Came Together," directed by David Wain ("Wanderlust," "Role Models") and his "Stella"/ "The State" pal Michael Showalter (who co-wrote the script with him), actor Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "True Blood") has joined the cast. Fans of Wain's cult comedy "Wet Hot American Summer" will note a the minor reunion. Meloni starred in that 2001 satirical comedy along with "They Came Together" stars Rudd, Amy Poehler, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. "They All Came" also stars Ed Helms, Noureen DeWulf, Smulders and Jason Mantzoukas.  [THR]