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Cobie Smulders set for Hollywood remake of Quebec’s ‘Starbuck’

Take note, Hollywood: If you're going to remake a Canadian movie, at least have the decency to put a Canadian in it!

When Dreamworks picked up the remake rights to the Quebec film "Starbuck" earlier this year (and subsequently cast Vince Vaughn as the title character), fans of the original movie didn't get their hopes too high. It seemed like the U.S. version of "Starbuck" was another case of a perfectly decent movie getting remade just because the original wasn't in English.

But then the studio announced that it had hired Ken Scott — the writer/director of the Quebec original — the helm the film, and people began to reconsider the "Starbuck" remake's chances.

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The 2011 version starred Patrick Huard ("Bon Cop, Bad Cop") as David Wozniak (the role Vaughn will play in the remake), a serial screw-up who discovers that, as a result of frequent sperm donations, he has fathered over 530 children. With his own girlfriend expecting a child, David must grow up in a hurry and decide whether or not he's ready to be a father. It addition to winning critical raves, "Starbuck" was one of the highest-grossing Canadian films ever. Is it any wonder that it's being remade by Hollywood?

The recent addition of "Parks & Recreation's" Chris Pratt to the cast has certainly bolstered the remake's comedic prowess, but until now, "Starbuck" was still lacking one thing: Canadians (save for the director, of course). That's all changed with news that "How I Met Your Mother" star and Vancouver native Cobie Smulders is set to join the movie's cast. According to Variety, Smulders, last seen on the big screen as Agent Maria Hill in "The Avengers," will play Vaughn's girlfriend in the movie (a role played by Julie Le Breton in the original).

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Smulders' film credits to date have been pretty sparse, but it looks as though her role in the highest-grossing movie of the year may have given the actress career a well-deserved boost. Her work on the TV series "How I Met Your Mother" shows that she's definitely got the comedic chops to go toe-to-toe with actors like Vaughn and Pratt.

Smulders' addition means that the U.S. remake of "Starbuck" may not turn out to be as Americanized as we'd originally feared. With many more roles still to be cast, here's hoping "Starbuck" adds a few more Canadians before production starts later this year.

Check out the trailer for the original "Starbuck" film below: