Back in January it was reported that Cormac McCarthy, author of books that would one day become movies such as No Country For Old Men and The Road, had sold his first spec script, titled The Counselor.

You might not expect to hear about such a project again for an extended period of time while it’s being developed and pieces are put into place, but instead the movie progresses rapidly. Ridley Scott has now committed himself to directing the film as his next project, and word is that he’d like Michael Fassbender, who will be seen in his Alien prequel, Prometheus, to star.

Scott is already talking to numerous stars for roles in the movie, which he hopes to begin production on by May 1st. Do we already have an early Oscar contender for next year?

The movie will follow a respectable lawyer who also dabbles lightly in the drug business, but ultimately finds himself fighting to survive a very bad situation. It’s set in the contemporary Southwest, and is said to be No Country For Old Men “on steroids.”

[Source: Deadline]