Woody Harrelson in talks to play the villain opposite Christian Bale in Out of the Furnace

CRAZY HEART director Scott Cooper’s crime drama OUT OF THE FURNACE has been assembling itself a pretty interesting cast thus far, with names like Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, and Sam Shepard already confirmed for the project. Now we got our villain, as Variety reports that Woody Harrelson (THE HUNGER GAMES) will be playing the character Bale is seeking vengeance against.

Cooper is both directing and writing the film, which stars Bale and Affleck as brothers. Affleck’s character is lured into a violent crime ring when bad luck lands Bale’s character in prison. Harrelson is in talks to play ‘Curtis DeGroat’, the ringleader of the violent crime ring. Zoe Saldana and Sam Shepard will co-star as Bale’s love interest and uncle, respectively.

Here’s a synopsis for the film from a previous report:

“OUT OF THE FURNACE is a drama about fate, circumstance, and redemption. Russell and his younger brother live in the economically depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother is lured into one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast – a mistake that will almost cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.”

The film is scheduled to begin shooting later this month in Braddock, Pennsylvania.