Aging as a movie star isn't easy, of course, but Dennis Quaid is at least an example of doing it right. The former matinee idol is in some ways more attractive than he was back in the The Right Stuff days, but he's definitely still got it-- on HBO last year he even played that eternal symbol of middle-aged virility, Bill Clinton. So there's something sneaky and brilliant about casting Quaid opposite a younger and more modern hunk, Gerard Butler, and allowing them to go head to head. Blackfilm is reporting that Quaid has signed on to the upcoming Butler comedy Playing the Field; the two will play rival coaches of their childrens' soccer teams in a suburban neighborhood.

It's not clear that Quaid and Butler will be competing as anything other than coaches, but Butler's character does the object of affection for nearly all the women in the neighborhood, including one desperate housewife played by Uma Thurman. You can imagine how a guy like Quaid might feel a little threatened by the new arrival. Playing the Field starts shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana this month, directed by Gabriele Muccino, whose last film was the godawful Seven Pounds but also has The Pursuit of Happyness to his credit. It might be hard for him to move on as a filmmaker without Will Smith, but a cast this solid definitely can't hurt.