
It’s always strange when an actor decides to make an announcement about a role they’ll be playing instead of seeing it in a press release or through trade report.
Nevertheless, sometimes this does happen, and today John Cusack decided to share a sizable announcement via his Twitter account. The actor shared that he would be playing none other than Edgar Allan Poe in James McTeigue‘s new movie, The Raven. Cusack tweeted “officiali- will play edgar allen poe in fall-a-film called the raven, send any poe- gold – my way as i begin this journey into the abyss.”
What we know about the movie is that it will tell the story of Poe’s mysterious final days in the 19th century as he tries to solve a string of murders committed using the stories of Poe as inspiration. Along with The Raven, other classic tales being integrated into the film include Tell-Tale Heart, Premature Burial, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Cask of Amontillado, all with a tone comparable to that of David Fincher’s Se7en.
We had previously heard that The Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner was also cast in the movie and that Ewan McGregor was in talks for a role, but with no confirmation on McGregor and Renner joining The Avengers and Mission: Impossible 4, it’s unclear where those two stand.
The Raven is written by Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston.