With Steve McQueen putting the finishing touches on casting his adaptation of Solomon Northrup's heartbreaking memoir, Twelve Years A Slave, somehow the cast has managed to get even better. That's no small feat, considering it already sports Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Chiwetel Ejiafor in a film that has definite Oscar aspirations.
Paul Giamatti is the latest to join the impressive ensemble, which also includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Adepero Oduye, and Scoot McNairy. Also along for the ride in rounding out the cast are Sarah Paulson(The Spirit) and Garret Dillahunt(No Country for Old Men), two vaunted character actors who should add texture to the painstakingly detailed America the story takes place in. Twelve Years A Slave is based on Northrop's 1841 kidnapping in Washington, DC, lured in by a fake job offer. Despite being born a free black, who had found success in a number of ventures up to that point, he was captured and forced into slavery for twelve years until he was freed by an attorney friend to the family.
Paulson will be playing the jealous wife of Fassbender's character, while Dillahunt is a field hand who works alongside Northrop. Freeman's role sounds a bit larger, playing the part of Freeman, who takes possession of the slaves when they arrive in New Orleans.
After beginning his career with Hunger and Shame, McQueen is aiming for one heck of a hat trick. He's got all the tools to do it, now we just need to see it put into action. It's a remarkable true story, and while I'm only a few pages into the novel, it's captivating stuff. [Variety/Deadline]
