Juno Temple and Jesse Plemons are in talks to join Black Mass, the Johnny Depp-starring Whitey Bulger biopic.
The true-crime thriller from Warner Bros. and Cross Creek Pictures will star Depp as the South Boston criminal mastermind, who was sentenced in November to two consecutive life terms plus five years after being found guilty on 31 counts of racketeering, money laundering, extortion and weapons charges (including his role in 19 murders).
Crazy Heart helmer Scott Cooper is directing the project, while Joel Edgerton will play FBI agent John Connolly, and Guy Pearce will play Whitey’s brother Bill Bulger. Fifty Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson is currently in talks to join the drama.
STORY: ‘Out of the Furnace’ Director in Talks to Revive Whitey Bulger Biopic ‘Black Mass’
The film is loosely based on the New York Times best-seller Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob, written by Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill.
Temple will play Deborah Hussey, a prostitute and the stepdaughter of Flemmi (Whitey’s trusted lieutenant), who threatens to expose Whitey’s crimes. Plemons will play Kevin Weeks, a blue-collar tough guy who is part of Whitey’s inner circle.
Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, John Lesher, and Christi Dembrowski are producing. Courtenay Valenti is overseeing for the studio.
Temple has quite a few films coming out in 2014, including Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Disney’s Maleficent. The English actress’ past credits include The Other Boleyn Girl, Atonement, Dirty Girl, Little Birds, Killer Joe, The Dark Knight Rises and Afternoon Delight. She’s repped by UTA, Troika in the U.K. and Lichter Grossman.
Known for his starring role on NBC’s Friday Night Lights and his villainous turn on the final season of Breaking Bad, Plemons‘ most recent film credits include Battleship and The Master. He was one of the actors who had some meetings for a role in J.J. Abrams‘ Star Wars: Episode VII. He’s repped by TalentWorks and Hirsch Wallerstein.
