Dominic Cooper to play artist Alfred Munnings in Summer in February

And to think there was a time when I thought Dominic Cooper was just the glistening Greek god riding a jet ski in Mamma Mia!. No, the actor has turned out to be one of the best young actors in Hollywood, with a string of powerful performances to his credit. 2011 has been a particularly strong year, playing a young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger, turning up as Milton Greene in My Week With Marilyn, and receiving all sorts of critical raves for his dual role in The Devil's Double. Cooper has proven himself more than willing to tackle the difficult job of playing real life people, and he's set to do it one more time in Summer in February.

Cooper will portray Alfred Munnings, one of England's most accomplished painters in the wake of WWI, most notable for his depictions of horses. He was also an outspoken critic against the modernist movement, which he derided throughout his career.

British filmmaker Christopher Menaul(Prime Suspect) will direct, based on a script by Jonathan Smith, adapting his own novel.  Filming will kick off next month for a likely release some time in 2012, as this is a pretty small pic with a budget hovering around $8M.  Cooper will be seen next as Henry Sturgess in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter! [Variety]