Say what you will about Woody Allen and his sordid relationship history, but the man knows how to cast female actors in great roles. Witness Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over Broadway, Mia Farrow in Hannah and Her Sisters, and — of course — Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. Perhaps not coincidentally, those are also some of my favorite Woody Allen movies.

The director's new muse, it seems, is Scarlett Johansson, who just signed on to star alongside Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in Allen's still-untitled latest film, which begins shooting this summer in Spain. For all the details, read more

The movie will shot in Barcelona and marks the first time he has filmed a movie in Spain. But it also represents another interesting milestone for Johansson. According to Variety:

That is her third starring role in his past four films, making Johansson the actress Allen has used most frequently since his early runs with Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton.

While Farrow and Keaton are by far the most famed of Allen's actresses — mainly because he was romantically linked to them — he definitely likes to work with the same actors over and over again. If you're interested, Film Experience has a very cool ranking of women who have appeared in Woody Allen movies, including some I'd forgotten about. Charlize Theron and Tracey Ullman, for instance, have both appeared in two of his movies.

What do you think of the casting? Do you think Penelope might end up a regular fixture?

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