Ridley Scott's The Counselor Getting Attention From Angelina Jolie And 20th Century Fox

Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Ridley Scott's next project, The Counselor, may be moving fast, but the talent that it's collecting is no joke. In addition to the fact that Scott is on-board (a three-time Oscar nominee), the script was written by Cormac McCarthy, Michael Fassbender is attached to star in the titular role, and both Javier Bardem and Jeremy Renner have been gunning for the part of the major villain. But things are not stopping there.

Vulture has learned from sources close to the production that Angelina Jolie is now in talks for a part in The Counselor. It should be noted that the site does say that the part would be small, so it's possible that it won't be the female lead that Natalie Portman is rumored for. Based on an original script by McCarthy, the story follows a young lawyer (Fassbender) who believes that he can dabble in the drug game and make some quick cash before getting out completely. This plan falls apart, however, when the protagonist falls in to serious trouble with the wrong people and finds himself struggling to keep his head above water.

The report also says that the project may have some good news on the business end as well. Twentieth Century Fox is apparently now in "active discussions" to distribute and possibly co-finance the film, which is aiming to begin production at the start of next month. The studio does have a past with the pair at the head of the project as they are releasing Prometheus, which was directed by Scott and stars Fassbender, later this year.

So what are we thinking: is Angelina Jolie a cast upgrade? What kind of role would you like to see her play? Sound off in the comments.

Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.