Though it would seem that he has yet to receive the mainstream attention he deserves (his highest grossing film garnered only $26 million at the box office), Darren Aronofsky is one of the most talented directors working today. With the exception of The Fountain, which, to be fair wasn't his original vision, the director has produced three fantastic films in his career. Requiem for a Dream still haunts me, Pi is a fantastic low-budget thriller, and what can be said about The Wrestler that hasn't already been said? His next project, The Black Swan, a supernatural drama about the New York City ballet, has had very few details revealed, though we have been informed that there will be "ecstasy-induced hungry aggressive angry sex" between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. While that alone could get asses in the seats, /Film has revealed three new actors joining the cast that make the project even more enticing.

Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey have joined the cast in fairly predictable, but perfect roles. According to the report, Cassel will play Yevna, the ballet director who is described as "handsome but sinister;" Ryder will play Beth, a friend of Nina's (Portman) whom everyone is gunning for, as she is about to be replaced; and Hershey will play Portman's mother. In other words, expect Cassel to be a nasty Frenchman, Ryder to play a nice girl with faults, and Hershey to have less than 20 minutes of total screen time.

It is still hard to believe that The Wrestler got so maliciously snubbed at the Oscars last year (can a guy even get a nomination for Best Director?!), but hopefully this project will be an opportunity for Aronofsky show them what they missed. Anyone who has seen his work knows that he can turn the ballet, already a beautiful dance, into something spectacular. Now he has a first-rate cast to help him do so.