Casting News for Film Adaptation of Elmore Leonard's The Switch

It's been almost two years since we last reported on the film adaptation of Elmore Leonard's The Switch but today we're learning that John Hawkes (Winter's Bone) will co-star with Yaslin Bey (The Italian Job) in this prequel to Jackie Brown — which was itself adapted from Leonard's novel Rum Punch — playing younger versions of Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie, the characters played by Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson. Dan Schechter will direct his own adapted screenplay.

Set some 15 years before the events in Jackie Brown, Ordell and Louis hit it off in prison, where they were doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they're out, they're joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. But they didn't figure the lowlife husband wouldn't want his lady back. So it's time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing — with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who's hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge.

(Related article: Variety.)