Alfre Woodard Boards 'Twelve Years A Slave'; Alessandro Nivola Joins Atom Egoyan's 'Devil's Knot'

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by Simon Dang
June 12, 2012 12:22 PM
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Steve McQueen has quite an abundance of talent at his disposal for "Twelve Years A Slave" but now has more two more additions in TV staple Alfre Woodard and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o. Woodard will play a former slave who has risen through the caste system while Nyong'o plays the object of both affection and cruelty of Master Epps, to be played by Michael Fassbender. The film, of course, stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, a free black man who is tricked into slavery and faces a grueling life under several owners. Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Garrett Dillahunt, Ruth Negga and Adepero Oduye all co-star in the John Ridley co-scripted tale. Most anticipated for 2013? It's up there, no doubt. [THR]

Another talent has boarded Atom Egoyan's upcoming West Memphis 3 drama "The Devil's Knot." Alessandro Nivola will star opposite Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth as the stepfather of one of the young victims who consistently denied any role in the murders but is now a suspect 20 years later. His relationship with wife (Witherspoon) apparently forms the backbone of the story. [Deadline]

Versatile vet thesp Kristin Scott Thomas will star opposite Andre Dussollier and Sergi Lopez in "Vatican, le Christ habite chez les Borgia" (translated as "Vatican, Christ Lives With The Borgias"). The fact-based film will see Thomas play the mother of a deceased Swiss guard who investigates her son's suspicious death and uncovers a power struggle and corruption within the Holy See. It's being described as being in the vein of Costa-Gavras' "Z" or Michael Mann's "The Insider." [Variety]

Musician-turned-filmmaker Quentin Dupieux's indie-comedy "Wrong Cops" has added Agnes Bruckner and Kurt Fuller to its cast which is led by fellow musician Marilyn Manson. The pic centers on a group of bad cops as they try to dispose a nearly dead body that one of them has shot by accident. And in case you missed it, a short film version premired at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight and online last month. [Variety]