Looks like Aaron Cross is taking over for Bruce Wayne. With Christian Bale busy hanging out with Terrence Malick and a bunch of beautiful women for the rest of 2012 on "Knight Of Cups" and the movie formerly known as "Lawless," it means he has to bounce out of David O. Russell's "American Bullshit." But a worthy replacement is in the wings.
Jeremy Renner is in talks to take over the co-starring role alongside Bradley Cooper in the upcoming film. Written by Eric Warren Singer ("The International"), the film is based on the true story of Abscam, the FBI's 1980 undercover sting operation of Congress to root out corruption. The brainchild of convicted con artist Melvin Weinberg, who was hired by the bureau to run the investigation, the operation targeted thirty-one officials leading to 11 convictions, and while the operation came under scrutiny for the use of unorthodox methods, all the convictions were upheld on appeal. Cooper will take the role of Mel, while Renner will play Jimmy Boyle, the agent who arrests Weinberg but later teams up with him on the project.
The venerable Megan Ellison is producing the movie via Annapurna, with Sony to distribute and production to get underway in February (and yes, it will be getting a new title). Done and done. This sounds like great material, with solid talent to tell it, and right in Russell's wheelhouse of larger-than-life stories. We can't wait. [Variety]