Just over a week ago, we learned that Christian Bale was looking to make writer/director Scott Cooperâs (Crazy Heart) revenge drama Out of the Furnace his next project. Now Variety reports that Zoe Saldana (Star Trek) is in talks to join the production. The story centers on a man who is released after serving four years in prison only to find that his younger brother has been brutally murdered. He sets out to avenge the death and track down the killer. Robert Duvall is expected to play Baleâs uncle, and Viggo Mortensen is circling the villain role.Should she sign on, Saldana would play Baleâs ex-wife, a waitress whoâs now married to the town sheriff. A number of actors are circling the role of Baleâs brother, including Casey Affleck, Taylor Kitsch, Garrett Hedlund, and Channing Tatum. I loved Cooperâs Crazy Heart, and it looks like heâs assembling a stellar cast for his long-awaited follow-up which is said to be âa gritty throwback to 1970s movies.â No deals have been made and the studio still hasnât greenlit the project quite yet, but theyâre looking to start filming this spring as Bale is shooting two Terrence Malick films back-to-back starting this summer. Saldana is currently filming the Star Trek sequel, and is expected to return for James Cameronâs Avatar 2 and 3 whenever he gets around to actually filming them. [Update: Variety has updated their story to say that Casey Affleck is now the certified frontrunner to play Bale's brother.]
Zoe Saldana in Talks to Star in Revenge Drama OUT OF THE FURNACE Opposite Christian Bale [UPDATED: Casey Affleck May Join Cast]
Zoe Saldana in Talks to Star in OUT OF THE FURNACE. Written and directed by Scott Cooper, Out of the Furnace will stars Christian Bale.