Michael Shannon Joins Andrew Garfield in Ramin Bahrani's '99 Homes'

It looks like General Zod is going to be hanging out with Spider-Man while Ramin Bahrani gets to film the whole thing. Bahrani is coming off his biggest film yet, the heartland drama At Any Price, and while many critics didn't really take to it (I did, though), that didn't stop him from pushing forward with 99 Homes, his next exploration of the American Dream. With Andrew Garfield already attached to star, he's now lined up Boardwalk Empire and Man of Steel star, Michael Shannon.

Bahrani's previous films have looked at America through the immigrant experience, the Midwestern farming culture, and now 99 Homes will explore the current housing crisis. The Florida-set drama will have Shannon as sleazy real estate broker Mike Carver, with Garfield as Dennis Nash, a man foreclosed out of his home by Mike's shady dealings. In a last ditch effort to get his house back, Dennis goes to work for Mike only to get caught up in the industry's criminal practices.

Expect this one to get real nasty and probably a little controversial, but boy that's a trio worth getting really excited over. 99 Homes should begin filming soon, and hopefully will be on the festival circuit early next year. Fingers crossed.[THR]