Jessica Biel has been approached to star in 'Shock and Awe'.

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel

The 34-year-old actress, who starred in 2012's 'Total Recall', is in talks with filmmakers to join the cast of a new drama film alongside Woody Harrelson of political drama 'LBJ'.

The star-studded cast is set to include 'The West Wing' star Richard Schiff, 'The Fugitive's' Tommy Lee Jones, and 'Beetlejuice' actor Alec Baldwin, as well as James Marsden, Milla Jovovich and rising actor Luke Tennie.

According to Deadline, Biel - who is married to Justin Timberlake, with whom she has 16-month-old son Silas - will be paired up with 'The Notebook' actor Marsen as her onscreen lover.

Meanwhile, Schiff is in talks to play a man called 'The Usual' who plays a source for journalists, helping them boost their intelligence.

Tennie, who makes his first appearance on the big screen, is to be cast as a paralysed combat veteran who gives evidence during the US Senate hearings on the circumstances of the war.

Director Rob Reiner is producing alongside Matthew George and Michele Reiner.

Joey Hartstone, who also wrote 'LBJ' is to write 'Shock and Awe'.

The story is based on a group of journalists who investigate claims made by the Bush administration that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, which were partly used as justification for the invasion of Iraq.

Now with the Chilcott Report showing intelligence failures now out in the public domain, the film is expected to prove topical viewing.

Filming is expected to start in September, with the view to securing a distribution deal at the Toronto Film Festival next month.

The film is being financed by Savvy Media Holdings and Acacia Filmed Entertainment. Voltage Films is handling worldwide sales.


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