Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde Join ‘The Words’ Cast

Olivia Wilde at the Tron: Legacy Premiere
Olivia Wilde at the ‘Tron: Legacy’ Premiere (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, and Dennis Quaid have some more company in The Words, according to Benaroya Pictures. Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, Ben Barnes, John Hannah, J.K. Simmons, and Nora Arnezeder have all signed up to join the cast of the dramatic thriller which marks the feature film directorial debut of Tron: Legacy screenwriters Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal.

Klugman and Sternthal also wrote the script, which went through the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and appeared on the Black List (the annual list of Hollywood’s best-unproduced screenplays). The Words starts shooting this month in Montreal.

Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures is producing along with Animus Films’ Jim Young, and Serena Films’ Tatiana Kelly. Untitled Entertainment’s Laura Rister is executive producing the film with Cassian Elwes under their joint venture Waterfall Media. Rister and Elwes are shepherding the project. Cinematographer Antonio Calvache is the Director of Photography.

Olivia Wilde recently starred as Jeff Bridges’ trusted friend and protector Quorra in the 3D futuristic blockbuster, Tron: Legacy. This year she will be seen in a wide array of projects including the Universal fantasy-action film Cowboys and Aliens starring alongside Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford; the physical comedy The Change Up, to be released in August, starring opposite Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman; Andrew Niccol’s futuristic thriller In Time; and The Weinstein Company’s quirky political satire Butter also starring Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman and Ty Burrell.

Zoe Saldana starred in major blockbusters Star Trek and Avatar and will next be seen in the upcoming action film Colombiana produced by Luc Besson.

Ben Barnes stars in the upcoming Killing Bono. His additional credits include Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Dorian Gray, and Prince Caspian.

The Words Plot: The Words follows a writer (Cooper) who, at the peak of his literary success, discovers the price he must pay for stealing another man’s work.