'Dark' falls for Smith, Eccleston

Gregory Smith and Chris-topher Eccleston have joined the cast of "The Dark Is Rising," 20th Century Fox and Walden Media's adaptation of Susan Cooper's best-selling books. Marc Platt and Ron Schmidt are producing the picture, which is being helmed by David L. Cunningham.

"Dark" tells the story of a teenager (newcomer Alexander Ludwig) who learns that he is the last of a group of warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the Dark. Traveling back and forth through time, he hunts for clues while encountering the forces of evil and discovers that the future of the world rests in his hands.

Smith is playing the teen's older brother, an edgy young man with piercings and tattoos who questions their father's authority.

Eccleston is playing the movie's villain, the Rider.

Also in the cast are Amelia Warner ("Aeon Flux"), Emma Lockhart ("Batman Begins"), Gary Entin, Edmund Entin, Jonathan Jackson and John Benjamin Hickey ("Flags of Our Fathers").

Ian McShane and Frances Conroy have already been cast.

The movie is slated to begin filming Feb. 26 in Romania.

Debbie Liebling is overseeing for Fox, and Alex Schwartz and Evan Turner are overseeing for Walden.

Smith is best known for starring on WB Network's drama series "Everwood." He next will appear on the big screen in "Closing the Ring," opposite Shirley MacLaine and Mischa Barton, for director Richard Attenborough. Most recently, he starred in "Nearing Grace" with Jordana Brewster. He is repped by Endeavor and Anonymous Content.

Eccleston is currently stealing scenes as an invisible man on NBC's "Heroes." Other recent credits include "28 Days Later" and BBC's "Doctor Who." He is repped by Endeavor and Larry Taube of Principal Entertainment.