Alexander Skarsgard joins Brit Marling's The East

 
I've heard the name Brit Marling enough to last the next two years worth of indie "It" girls. She's been on a fierce roll, writing, producing, and starring in both The Sound of My Voice and the vastly overrated Another Earth. Since then she can basically do whatever she wants, and she'll jump a bit further into the mainstream as part of Robert Redford's political thriller, The Company You Keep. But she's got a passion project which is slowly but surely moving forward. Titled The East, Marling will again co-write with Zat Batmanglij who is also directing. All it needed was a leading man, and now that guy has been found in another up 'n coming star.

Alexander Skarsgard, who has found his niche as the vampire Eric Northman in HBO's True Blood, has joined the film, which centers on a female agent who infiltrates an eco-terrorist group called The East. Skarsgard will play the leader of this group, fighting to seek revenge against those darn corporations. The son of swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard(Thor, Breaking the Waves), he's been making a big move onto the big screen of late. He'll be seen in Lars Von Trier's end of the world flick Melancholia. Before that he'll do battles against James Marsden in the home invasion pic, Straw Dogs, and let's not forget he'll shoot pegs at aliens or something in Battleship.

October and November is being eyed for the start, with Nashville being the location. Fox Searchlight has set up a nice comfortable corner for Marling to do her thing, so they'll likely be handling distribution. [THR]