About a week ago, we heard that writer/director Wes Anderson was eyeing a top-notch ensemble cast for his next untitled feature, with stars like Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Angela Lansbury apparently being eyed for roles.  Though the exact status of each actor’s involvement was unclear at the time (it’s safe to assume Murray and Wilson will definitely be onboard), we now have confirmation that at least one of those actors is officially involved: Johnny Depp.  Hit the jump for more.

Screenwriter Chris Terrio has been hired by Paramount and Indian Paintbrush to script the adaptation of David Grann’s New Yorker article A Murder Foretold.  The fascinating story revolves around the murder of beloved and devoted Guatemalan corporate attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg who played a videotape at his funeral predicting his murder and implicating the President, the President’s wife, and other close aides.  Rosenberg hoped his video would call attention to the epidemic of homicides and the government corruption that allowed such unchecked violence to continue.  However, an investigation by a special prosecutor led to a remarkable twist in the case but also a serious crackdown on violence.  It’s a great read and could be an impressive film in the right hands.  The project was the center of an intense bidding war back in April.

Deadline reports that Terrio, who also wrote Ben Affleck’s Argo, will write the script before moving on to write the American adaptation of Harlan Coben’s novel Tell No One (which was adapted into an exciting French film back in 2006).  Click here to read the New Yorker article.

Paramount Pictures has teamed up with Indian Paintbrush to co-produce Jason Reitman’s upcoming film Labor Day. Paramount will distribute the flick, which is set to star Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. Reitman wrote the screenplay based on Joyce Maynard’s novel which tells the story of an escaped convict (Brolin) who befriends a young boy and seeks shelter with the boy and his mother (Winslet) over a long Labor Day weekend.

Labor Day is set to start production next year, but before that Reitman’s next film Young Adult is set to open on December 9. That film marks the reunion of Reitman and his Juno scribe Diablo Cody, and tells the story of an alcoholic writer who returns to her hometown to pursue her now-married high school boyfriend. Charlize Theron stars. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Maynard’s novel Labor Day.

After an intense auction, Paramount has teamed up with Indian Paintbrush to acquire the screen rights to David Grann’s New Yorker article A Murder Foretold. The harrowing piece tells the story of a string of high-level murders in Guatemala, and the wealthy businessman who posthumously brought about the crackdown on the violence in the country and brought to justice those responsible. Guatemala was raveged by killings “routinely perpetrated by everyone from secret police to drug dealers who acted with impunity.”

The businessman had videocassettes passed around at his funeral, wherein he accused the president, his assassinated wife and other aides of being implicated in his own murder. Deadline reports that the article, published on April 4^th, went out to studios last week and the Paramount-Indian Paintbrush team closed the deal. Grann is no stranger to Hollywood adaptations of his work, as his article-turned-book The Lost City of Z is has been in development with writer/director James Gray for quite some time. Head over to the New Yorker to read Grann’s article A Murder Foretold in its entirety.