Charlize Theron and Armie Hammer likely to join Eastwood’s Hoover biopic

Looks like Armie Hammer is beginning to reap the benefits from his solid performance in The Social Network. Entertainment Weekly reports the 24-year-old actor is in talks to star opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming biopic J. Edgar (previously titled Hoover). NY Magazine’s Vulture blog also brings word that Charlize Theron has been offered a role in the film as well. Hit the jump for more info.

It should be mentioned, in case you haven’t heard of this project before, that DiCaprio is playing the lead role of J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was surrounded by controversy as his career in the Bureau progressed. The script is written by Dustin Lance Black, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk back in 2008.

From EW:

In the film about the former FBI director, Hammer would play lawyer-turned-FBI-official — and, some say, Hoover’s lover — Clyde Tolson. Though the pair didn’t always agree on political tactics, Tolson remained a loyal friend and advisor to Hoover.

From Vulture:

We hear Oscar winner Charlize Theron has resurfaced and is being offered the part of Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk Hoover selected as his personal secretary at the age of 21, and who wound up working for him for over 54 years.

With this kind of pedigree of the people involved – from the director down to the actors – it’s hard to be ambivalent about this project. This one has “Oscar” written all over it, and with a scheduled shooting start time of early next year, expect this one out in theaters by the end of 2011 (especially with Eastwood’s notoriously quick turnaround time).