Since Cormac McCarthy‘s first original screenplay The Counselor was sold back in January it has locked up Ridley Scott as director and rising star Michael Fassbender as the male lead. Three major supporting roles were up for grabs and the casting rumors ran wild with possibilities, but now it seems two of those parts have been cast and the third looks to be taken soon. Most important of all, the actors chosen for those roles are not exactly small timers.

Less than two weeks ago we reported that the prolific Ridley Scott had already lined up his first post-Prometheus directing gig, and it wasn’t that Blade Runner sequel he’s been talking about lately. Scott signed on to direct The Counselor, which is the first original screenplay written by acclaimed author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men). Now, the filmmaker has found his leading man, and it is another cinematic talent who likes to keep busy.

Michael Fassbender, soon to be seen as the android David in Prometheus, has taken the lead role of a respectable attorney who decides to dabble in the drug trade and ends up way over his head, as would be expected.

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.

You would have imagined that a writer with the stature of one Cormac McCarthy would have sold a handful of screenplays at this point in his career. However, until now, that was far from the case.

The Wrap is reporting that McCarthy has sold his first script, a spec script entitled The Counselor. The script was picked up by Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, the producers behind the adaptation of McCarthy’s The Road.