The last time Javier Bardem played a part envisioned by famed author Cormac McCarthy, he won an Academy Award. Will lightning strike twice? That's the hope for Ridley Scott, who is talking with the "No Country for Old Men" star about playing the villain in "The Counselor," an original script from McCarthy. Before you start fitting Bardem for a page-boy wig, note that Jeremy Renner is also in discussions for the role, according to Twitch.

McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author behind "The Road" and "No Country," makes his screenwriting debut with "The Counselor," which follows a successful lawyer (Michael Fassbender, already cast) who takes a detour into the drug world for a fast buck. Bad idea. When first reporting about McCarthy's script, Deadline.com's Mike Fleming wrote that it was one of "McCarthy's most disturbing and powerful works."

Bardem and Renner aren't the only big stars vying for a role; Twitch also reports that Natalie Portman is Scott's choice for the female lead in the piece, Fassbender's onscreen wife. Portman hasn't made a film since winning an Oscar and having a child last year.

Scott has often, rightfully, been accused of piling up projects that never coalesce into actual films, but "The Counselor" seems like a sure thing; the film is expected to start shooting in May. Get tentatively excited, friend-o!

[via Twitch]