Zoe Saldana To Get 'Out Of The Furnace' With Christian Bale

While some our readers recently wishlisted Zoe Saldana for a role in Ridley Scott's "The Counselor," this project will do just fine.  The actress is now lining the fast moving "Out Of The Furnace" from "Crazy Heart" director Scott Cooper with Christian Bale set to star.

It has been a long time coming for this Black List script by Brad Ingelsby which placed highly back in 2008, but now it's getting pulled together faster than lightning. With Bale getting ready to spend the second half of 2012 with Terrence Malick on "Lawless" and "Knight Of Cups," this movie is going to be knocked out this spring before he begins work on those films. And while a number of male co-stars have been in the mix -- Viggo Mortensen is being sought to play the villain, with Casey Affleck, Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch and Channing Tatum in the mix to play Bale's brother -- it's the female lead that has been wrapped up first.

Drawing comparisons to "No Country For Old Men," the story is set in Indiana in 1986 and follows Slim (Bale), recently released from prison, who intends to marry his girlfriend but instead is drawn into a quest for revenge when his brother is murdered after getting involved in the gambling racket. Saldana would play Slim's ex-wife who is married to the town sheriff, with Robert Duvall bringing the awesome as Batman's Uncle. The rest of the roles are yet to be locked down.

And while this all sounds potentially awesome, Relativity hasn't yet officially greenlit the project or locked down the actors though with this kind of cast coming together, that probably won't be an issue. Scott Free and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way are co-producing. [Variety]