Penelope Cruz Eyes Reteam With Javier Bardem for 'The Counselor' (Exclusive)

Penelope Cruz might be reteaming with husband Javier Bardem for The Counselor, a drug drama from author Cormac McCarthy and filmmaker Ridley Scott.

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Counselor is one of the town’s hottest projects, thanks to the speed with which it is coming together and the star power associated with it. McCarthy surprised his agents earlier this year with not a new book but a script, which was quickly picked up by producers Nick Wechsler and Paula Mae Schwartz.

Scott then decided to make it his next project, bringing with him Michael Fassbender, with whom he had just finished the summer tentpole Prometheus. Brad Pitt and Bardem also quickly hopped on the train to co-star.

The story, like McCarthy’s No County for Old Men, is set along the Mexican border. It centers on an attorney (Fassbender), a good man in need of money, who decides to dabble in the cocaine trade. He teams up with a rich acquaintance (Bardem) for a new business that also brings in a shady type (Pitt). Things don’t go as planned, in what is described as a dialogue-heavy, violent and racy script.

Cruz would play Fassbender’s love interest. The actress doesn’t have an offer, but talks have taken place and one is expected.

There also is chatter about Angelina Jolie playing the enigmatic love interest, but it is unclear how the actress would balance Counselor with Disney’s Maleficent, which she is supposed to begin shooting in June in England.

Cruz has worked with Bardem several times, dating to 1992’s Jamon Jamon and most recently in 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The actors were married in July 2010 and have a son together.

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Twitter: @Borys_Kit