News about Lee Daniels' anticipated post-"Precious" film is coming hot and heavy these days as the film rolls towards production. The latest addition to the cast of "The Paperboy" is Grammy-winning musician Maxwell.
Maxwell will be joining freshly cast star John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey in this drama about a guy on death row and the woman who falls in love with him. (Awwww?) Her letters and love prompt and investigation into his innocence. (Yay!)
Based on the novel by National Book Award winner Peter Dexter and produced by arthouse heavyweight Pedro Almodóvar, "The Paperboy" will definitely pique some critical interest while also appealing to an audience who's hungry for a good old thriller.
Where Maxwell fits into this murky Florida mystery is anybody's guess. He let slip the news at a fancy shindig for the upcoming flick "Sarah's Key" but nary a detail. The golden-throated singer known for his R&B and neo-soul stylings on albums like "Now" and "BLACKsummers'night" has only acted in one film so far, the uber-indie "Dead Dog" with Jeremy Sisto.
This isn't the first time Daniels has thrown the dice when it comes to casting musicians out of type. Daniels launched the acting career of Lenny Kravitz with a small but crucial role as a nurse in "Precious," and now the dapper daddy of Zoe Kravitz is now filming the mega-franchise "The Hunger Games." If Maxwell decides it's time to multitask career-wise, this is a very savvy way to jump in.
