Viola Davis to Headline Steve McQueen’s Widows

Viola Davis is set to headline Steve McQueen’s latest, Widows

After his 12 Years a Slave took home three Oscars at the 2013 Academy Awards (including Best Picture), Steve McQueen has been concentrating on developing his fourth feature film, a big screen take on the 2002 British TV miniseries Widows. McQueen is directing the heist thriller and is also co-writing the screenplay with Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. Now, Widows has set a star with the addition of two time Academy Award nominee Viola Davis (The Help, Doubt). Variety reports that Davis will play one of the new film’s four leads.

RELATED: Watch the Trailer for Denzel Washington’s Fences

Widows tells the story of a heist that winds up killing all four men who organized it. With a lot of money still left on the table, the widows of the original team step in to finish the heist on their own.

Davis, who starred earlier this year in Warner Bros. Pictures‘ DC Comics ensemble Suicide Squad, also headlines ABC‘s How to Get Away With Murder. You can also catch her reprising her Tony Award winning role in Denzel Washington’s big screen adaptation of Fences when it hits the big screen December 25.

Although the trade notes that she ultimately had to pass on Widows due to scheduling conflicts, Jennifer Lawrence was also reported approached for a role, presumably as one of the other three widows. You can expect some interesting names will be announced for those parts soon, so check back for updates as soon as they become available.

McQueen will also produce Widows alongside See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman. Film 4 and New Regency are co-financing the film.

Who else would you like to see join the Widows cast? Let us know in the comments below.

(Photo Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN.com)

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