Terrence Howard, Matthew McConaughey, and Cuba Gooding Jr. in talks for Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'

It's been a weird ride for Lee Daniels post-Precious. Despite all the accolades and offers coming his way, it didn't exactly make it easier for him to get projects off the ground. Rather than haggling with historical estates to get his planned biopics done, Daniels stepped into The Paperboy, which Pedro Almodovar had spent a decade developing. So the major legwork was already done. With that impressive crime flick set to premier at Cannes in just a few days, Daniels has been busy casting up his next project, and running into a few hurdles along the way.

Daniels will next direct the civil rights themed The Butler, which initially had Denzel Washington eying the lead role of Eugene Allen, the White House butler who spent decades serving under numerous administrations. The true story follows his view of the changing world from a unique, insider perspective. Denzel never panned out, and Forest Whitaker stepped into the role. Now THR reports that Matthew McConaughey, Terrence Howard, and Cuba Gooding Jr. are in talks to join the film.

With Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, and John Cusack said to be confirmed, THR throws an interesting curveball into the mix. David Oyelowo, who we long thought was set to play Allen's young son(and once was rumored to play Allen himself), isn't mentioned at all in the story. It could just be an oversight. Or maybe Daniels thought it'd be a bad idea to have three Red Tails alums all in one place considering how sh*tty that film was. Variety also notes that Alan Rickman has joined the cast, playing the role of Ronald Reagan.

With an initial draft written by Danny Strong(Game Change, Recount) and redone by Daniels, there are obviously Academy Award aspirations for this one, and Whitaker in particular looks to be making his strongest move since The Last King of Scotland. Allen's story is an incredible one, first brought to our attention in 2008 just after the election of Barack Obama. Allen, who had served under eight Presidents since 1952, watched along with his wife of 65 years as the first African-American with a legitimate shot at becoming President ran for office. Unfortunately, Allen's wife passed away just before Election Day, so he was forced to cast his vote alone.