When Oliver Stone first started putting together his upcoming drug-trafficking drama Savages, attempting to bring in Jennifer Lawrence to play one of the major roles, he was already eyeing Benicio del Toro to play the enforcer for a Mexican drug cartel who threatens some small-time pot dealers and their shared girlfriend (Lawrence). Now del Toro is getting ready to make it official; according to Deadline he's in talks for the film, which will star Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch as the Laguna Beach-based drug dealers but no longer has Lawrence thanks to The Hunger Games.

With the men on board Stone is now looking to set up the female roles, "casting a wide net" for the girlfriend role Lawrence was set to play, and also considering Salma Hayek for a role as the "Mexican drug cartel matriarch," though nothing is set in stone yet. Hayek's character is actually the one starting all the trouble in the film, sending del Toro to force the drug-dealing to work for her; when they refuse, he kidnaps the girlfriend, O, and demands a fortune in ransom. The plot sounds soapy and potential ridiculous, but the caliber of actors Stone is bringing on board gives it a little added potential. Universal is looking into acquiring the film, which presumably starts shooting soon given Lawrence's Hunger Games conflict.