Oscar-Nominated 'Animal Kingdom' Actress in Talks to Join 'Silver Lining Playbook' (Exclusive)

Jacki Weaver, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in Animal Kingdom, is in negotiations to join the cast of The Silver Linings Playbook, the romantic comedy David O. Russell is directing for the Weinstein Co.

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are starring in the pic, about former high school teacher (Cooper) who is institutionalized for depression and is released from a health facility determined to find the silver linings in his life. He tries to win back his ex-wife but becomes involved with an eccentric neighbor (Lawrence) with problems of her own.

Weaver will play Cooper’s mother, who takes care of him.

Robert De Niro also is in the cast of this adaptation of Matthew Quick’s novel, which is scheduled to shoot this fall.

After working in her native Australia for decades, Weaver has seen a spike of Hollywood work since her Kingdom nomination. She has the new Nicholas Stoller-Jason Segel comedy The Five-Year Engagement in the can and is currently shooting Stoker, the Wentworth Miller-written drama starring Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman.

Weaver is repped by ICM and Elevate Entertainment.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com, Pamela.McClintock@thr.com