The cast of Walter Salles' adaptation of the classic Jack Kerouac novel On the Road is rounding out nicely, as Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams have signed on to join stars Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, and Garrett Hedlund.  Mortensen will assume the role of Old Bull Lee (a William S. Burroughs surrogate), while Adams will play his junkie wife, Jane.  According to Deadline, Adams and Mortensen will shoot their scenes later this month.

Jose Rivera has scripted the adaptation, which revolves around a series of cross country trips taken by writer Sal Paradise (Riley).  Hit the jump for a richer synopsis.

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Fans of Kerouac get the whole beautiful, groovy deal with this new recording of the radically hip novel that many consider the heart of the Beat movement. Poetic, open and raw, Kerouac’s prose lays out a cross-country adventure as experienced by Sal Paradise, an autobiographical character. A writer holed up in a room at his aunt’s house, Paradise gets inspired by Dean Moriarty (a character based on Kerouac’s friend Neal Cassady) to hit the road and see America.

From the moment he gets on the seven train out of New York City, he takes the reader through the highs and lows of hitchhiking, bonding with fellow explorers and opting for beer before food. First published in 1957, Kerouac’s perennially hot story continues to express the restless energy and desire for freedom that makes people rush out to see the world. The tale is only improved by Dillon’s well-paced, articulate reading as he voices the flow of images and graveled reality of Paradise’s search for the edge. [Amazon]