Philip Seymour Hoffman Joins Increasingly Awesome 'Child 44' Cast

It wasn't too long ago that Philip Seymour Hoffman's name was splashed all over the news, and it had absolutely nothing to do with him starring in the next 'Hunger Games' film. No, he had just checked himself into rehab over a drug relapse, and now he's barely been out more than a minute and already he's improved a film that was already sounding pretty darn good.

Hoffman has joined Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman Joel Kinnaman, Fares Fares, and Paddy Considine in Child 44, the Cold War-era film directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) and written by The Wire's Richard Price. Based on the first book in Tom Rob Smith's trilogy, the story centers on a disgraced MGB agent (Hardy)  tracking down a prolific child murderer who may have connections to the very top of Stalin's regime.

Hoffman's role is unclear, but does it really matter? Not really. Child 44 is in production now and should arrive next year. Hoffman will be seen this November as Gamesmaker Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. [Deadline]