Yesterday’s speculation that Russell Crowe had been cast in Ridley Scott’s movie Body of Lies has now been confirmed as being true by Variety, although Cindy was actually the first to confirm the story to us yesterday.

Crowe will play Ed Hoffman, the manipulative CIA boss who teams with operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) to trap a dangerous Al-Qaeda leader by planting a false rumor that the bomber is in cahoots with the Americans.

Cindy was also kind enough to tell me I had made a mistake in my post by saying that Crowe and DiCaprio would be teaming together for the first time in their careers which ISN’T TRUE. In 1995, when DiCaprio was only 20, they starred together in Sam Raimi’s super fun western The Quick and the Dead. A movie I actually have a great fondness for so it was strange that I forgot about that.

Russell Crowe is on a mission to work with the strongest actors in Hollywood right now as he is set to star alongside Christian Bale (3.10 to Yuma), Denzel Washington (American Gangster) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Body of Lies) which should make for some compelling viewing.

Body of Lies is currently going through a script re-write from American Gangster writer Steven Zaillian, from an original draft from William Monahan. Variety say Crowe won’t formally commit until he’s seen the revised script.