Forest Whitaker to play Archbishop Tutu

Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker is set to play Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Roland Joffe's 'The Archbishop and the Antichrist'.

Forest Whitaker is set to play Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 'The Archbishop and the Antichrist'.

The Oscar-winning actor is set to take on the role of South African activist - who was the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town - in Roland Joffe's film, which is adapted from Michael Ashton's play.

The film sees Tutu in a fictional story about the archbishop meeting a bigoted South African mass murderer called Piet Blomfeld, who says he's seeking redemption. The plot is set during Tutu's work with the country's Truth and Reconciliation hearings.

No one has yet been cast to portray Blomfeld and the film doesn't have a shooting date.

Joffe is also busy setting up 'In God We Trust', which he describes as "a thriller about stealing a country, manipulating money but also about the desire to kill your parents - sometimes those things go together".

However, Joffe is currently working on romantic drama 'Singularity', which features Josh Hartnett and Neve Campbell, and he is hoping to complete it be the end of the year.