Anna Kendrick and John Francis Daley are in talks to star in Lionsgate’s post-apocalyptic comedy Rapture-Palooza, one of the first titles from the mini-major’s new micro-budgeted production initiative.

They join Craig Robinson, whose casting was previously announced. Acclaimed commercial director Paul Middleditch is directing the movie, while Mosaic and Ed Solomon are producing.

Rapture-Palooza is a comedic look at life in the fallout of a religious apocalypse. Best described as Zombieland meets The Big Lebowski, the script was written by Chris Matheson. He and Robinson also are exec producing the comedy.

Lionsgate is planning to make a handful of micro-budgeted films each year with a production budget of $2 million and below.

Kendrick, nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Up in the Air, is also part of the Twilight franchise.

Daly, who currently stars in Fox’s series Bones, first came on to the scene as the lead in Judd Apatow’s acclaimed Freeks and Geeks. He also co-wrote the upcoming New Line comedy Horrible Bosses with writing partner Jonathan Goldstein.

Kendricks is repped by CAA. Daly is repped by UTA and manager Paul Coates.

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Sometime this summer the extremely busy Robin Wright (Ari Folman’s The Congress, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball, Rampart) will be moving behind the camera to make her directorial debut. In the first piece of news since The Archivist was announced late last year, Colin Firth is no longer attached but Wright has apparently managed to add her The Conspirator co-stars Kevin Kline and Tom Wilkinson along with, actresses Sally Hawkins and Anna Kendrick to what will be a robust fivesome of stars (this includes Wright in front of the camera as well).

Gist: Scripted by Ann Cherkis (writer behind the filmed in Montreal, direct-to-video The Secret), this is about an American archivist who desperately tries to win back a valuable account he lost to his ex-wife in the UK while attempting to get her back as well.

Worth Noting: Michael Stipe’s Single Cell Pictures will produce the film – which would be a first in a long time: they’ve only produced: Velvet Goldmine, Being John Malkovich, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing and 2004′s Saved!

Do We Care?: I’m citing Vera Farmiga’s Higher Ground as a recent, formidable example of an actress moving behind the camera and delivering what is a confident directing debut. We wish the same for Wright.

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