Oscar winner Marion Cotillard is among a trio of actors in negotiations to star in Christopher Nolan's upcoming project Inception.

The Dark Knight director signed a seven-figure deal to direct the science-fiction film for Warner Bros earlier this year and Leonardo Dicaprio is already attached to star.

And set to join the cast are La Vie En Rose star Cotillard as well as Juno actress Ellen Page and 28 Days Later's Cillian Murphy.

Nolan, who wrote the Inception screenplay himself, has never worked with Cotillard and Page before but will direct Murphy for the third time, with the Irish actor playing the villainous Scarecrow in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Though little is known about Inception, Warner Bros described the project in February as a "contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind".

Production is set to begin this summer in line for a 2010 release and Nolan will produce the film with partner Emma Thomas, who worked with the British-American director on the box office smash The Dark Knight.

Nolan was recently linked with a film adaptation of classic TV series The Prisoner for Universal Studios while Warner Bros also hopes to secure his commitment to a third Batman film.


02/04/2009 09:17:37