When it was announced on Friday that production on Robert Zemeckis' Flight would start in October, I mentioned that we would likely be getting a lot of casting news in the next few weeks. Turns out that the folks behind the film aren't twiddling their thumbs and have already found a lead actress.

British actress Kelly Reilly, known to most audiences for her turn as Mary Morstan, Watson's beau in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, has landed the highly coveted role of Nicole Devlin in the Zemeckis film. According to Deadline, Reilly beat out some top tier talent, including Olivia Wilde and Dominique McElligott, for the part. The film centers on a pilot named Whip, set to be played by Denzel Washington, who saves 98 of 106 lives when he manages to safely land a damaged airplane. While Whip is treated as a hero, an investigation is launched into the pilot's misbehavior the night before the incident. Nicole Devlin is a drug addict who is befriends Whip as they both try to "get their demons under control." Based on a script by John Gatins, the film will be Zemeckis' first live action project since 2000, when he directed both Cast Away and What Lies Beneath.

Reilly has actually been steadily working since 1995 and this project could turn her into a star. I don't know a single better way to launch a career than by starring as drug addict in a film with Denzel Washington. It will be interesting to find out what Zemeckis saw in her when the film comes out.