Stay Alive may very well have killed The Countess for me. I hear that name and I can’t help but think of their CG creepy video game killer character. It doesn’t help that the latter is about a character famously known as the “blood countess”. That just reeks of video game madness.

But The Countess isn’t about some silly video game. Instead it’s about 16th century countess Elizabeth Bathory, starring Julie Delpy in the title role, as well as Radha Mitchell and Vincent Gallo. Previously the film had Ethan Hawke attached to the picture as well, although he recently stepped out. It appears Delpy has gotten an equally intriguing actor to join the picture.

According to the MTV Movie Blog, William Hurt has joined the cast of The Countess, although in an unknown role. The actor remained mysterious about the part he’s been cast in, calling it “the most Machiavellian” – a character surrounded by political intrigue.

Along with Hurt, Delpy’s 2 Days in Paris co-star Daniel Bruhl has also joined the cast of The Countess, with filming set to begin at the end of October.