Is Viggo Mortensen In The Mix For The Hateful Eight?

Everything we’ve heard thus far about Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Western The Hateful Eight has painted it as another typically ambitious and wild venture from the Pulp Fiction filmmaker. And now that a planned fall 2015 release has been locked down, Tarantino is finally getting around to securing an all-star cast for the pic – though, contrary to some reports, it won’t be identical to the live reading cast, which performed the script last April.

Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson (who did participate in the live reading) are expected to have roles, but Jennifer Lawrence was also reportedly in talks last month. Now, The New York Daily News is reporting that The Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen is also wanted for a major part in The Hateful Eight. The publication writes that Mortensen has been eyed for the role of a “ruthless gang leader.”

Surprisingly, Mortensen and Tarantino have never worked together, so it would be tremendously exciting to see the talented actor come aboard a project as intriguing as this.

The Hateful Eight follows a group of mistrustful, merciless individuals who become trapped in a stagecoach’s saloon together during an unexpected blizzard. Among the passengers are a competing pair of bounty hunters, a renegade Confederate soldier, and a female prisoner.

Bruce Dern, Michael Madsen, James Remar, Amber Tamblyn, Walton Goggins and Zoe Bell were all previously thought to have major roles in The Hateful Eight, though it’s unclear whether any of them will actually be involved at this point. Tarantino will have to figure his cast out soon, though – the film is set to roll cameras in January of next year, with plans for it to be released next fall.