Duo warm up for Silver's 'Whiteout'

Alex O'Loughlin and Columbus Short have joined "Whiteout" for Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment. Kate Beckinsale already has boarded the action thriller, which is being helmed by Dominic Sena.

Based on Greg Rucka's acclaimed comic book miniseries, the story centers on a lone U.S. marshal (Beckinsale) assigned to Antarctica who is investigating the continent's first murder. With only three days until winter, she must solve the crime before the continent is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.

O'Loughlin will play a cocky pilot whose hard-partying antics get him into hot water with the marshal. Short will play a wet-behind-the-ears pilot who becomes the marshal's ally during the investigation.

Jon & Erich Hoeber penned the adaptation.

"Whiteout" marks the first film to go into production under the company's new structure, which allows Silver to greenlight and finance films autonomously. Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute. Shooting is set to begin this month in Montreal.

Silver and Susan Downey are producing, while Steve Richards, Don Carmody and Rucka are executive producing. David Gambino is the co-producer.

O'Loughlin, repped by ICM, also will topline Silver's pilot "Twilight" for WBTV/CBS. He will play an investigator who also is a vampire. Amber Valletta also stars.

Short, whose credits include "Stomp the Yard" and "Accepted," is repped by the Gersh Agency, Brillstein-Grey and attorney Craig Emanuel.