Jeremy Renner, Javier Bardem and Natalie Portman in talks to join The Counselor

Great Scott! Jeremy Renner, Javier Bardem and Natalie Portman are all rumoured to be joining Michael Fassbender for Ridley Scott’s The Counselor .

Although not officially confirmed, rumours are circulating that Jeremy Renner ( The Hurt Locker ), Javier Bardem ( No Country For Old Men ) and Natalie Portman ( Black Swan ) are to join Michael Fassbender ( Shame ) in Ridley Scott’s ( Gladiator ) next directing gig, The Counselor . That's an Oscar-friendly bunch right there.

According to Collider , the three heavyweights are all keen to sign up with the legendary director on what’s sure to be an exceptional project.

Fassbender has already taken the lead role as the highbrow lawyer who falls into the world of illegal drugs while on a case, with Natalie Portman thought to be in line to play his fiancée.

It’s currently unclear if Bardem and Renner are both vying for the same villainous role as the man who introduces Fassbender to the drug trade.

Meanwhile, Bardem will next be seen in this year’s highly anticipated Skyfall , the welcome return of James Bond to (hopefully) high-octane action by director Sam Mendes, which opens on 26 October 2012.

Bardem isn’t the only one with an action movie in the works: Renner will hit our screens first as Hawkeye in Josh Whedon’s blockbuster Avengers Assemble , which opens on 27 April 2012, before taking the baton from Matt Damon in The Bourne Legacy .

Currently Ridley Scott’s number one, Michael Fassbender is carving an exceptionally diverse career. He stars in Scott’s Prometheus , opening 1 June 2012, which is being hyped as the scariest sci-fi movie since, well, Alien .

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