Justin Timberlake isn't taking his 2010 Oscar snub lying down. The actor-singer-dancer-dick-in-boxer has signed on for "Trouble With the Curve," opposite Academy Award stalwarts Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams.
The film follows an aging baseball scout (Eastwood) taking one last road trip to see a player, with his estranged daughter (Adams) in tow. Per Variety, Timberlake is set to star as "Eastwood's pal Johnny Flanagan, a former pitcher who now works as a baseball scout for the New York Yankees." (Former pitcher means the 31-year-old Timberlake retired in his late 20s? Arm injury, yips or steroids are your mystery third-act-reveal options, folks!) He'll also act as a love interest for Adams.
"Curve," which was recently given a Sept. 28 release date, should be positioned as an Oscar candidate during next year's awards season. After all, it'll star Eastwood, in his first role since 2008's "Gran Torino," as well as Adams, who was nominated three times before, most recently for "The Fighter." Robert Lorenz, a longtime Eastwood collaborator, will make his directorial debut with the film.
As for Timberlake, he's also co-starring in "Inside Llewyn Davis," the Coen Brothers folk-era drama -- a fact which eluded his co-star to-be, John Goodman. ("I didn't know that," Goodman said, when asked about Timberlake's involvement in "Davis.")
Since his role in "The Social Network," Timberlake has starred in two romcoms ("Bad Teacher" and "Friends with Benefits") and the futuristic action movie, "In Time." While none were critically acclaimed, the films made up for their mediocrity in sales -- thanks in no small part to Timberlake's star power. However, ever the actor, it seems clear that simple box-office plaudits aren't enough for JT; the dude wants a little gold man of his very own.
[via Variety]