Renner, Portman and Bardem Circling Ridley Scott’s ‘The Counselor’

It's the first screenplay written by Cormac McCarthy, Michael Fassbender is starring, and Ridley Scott is directing. That's enough to get us interested but they're not done yet. 'The Counselor' is drawing some serious attention across Hollywood and two recent Oscar-winners and one Oscar-nominee are interested in joining its ranks.

Twitch has  an update on casting, and it looks like Javier Bardem and Jeremy Renner are both gunning for the role of Reiner, the villain of the film. Bardem previously played a McCarthy villain in 'No Country for Old Men,' while Renner's star continues to rise with his upcoming role as Hawkeye in 'The Avengers.'

In talks to take the female lead in 'The Counselor' is Natalie Portman, whose last film was 2011's 'Thor.' After taking some time off after giving birth to her son, Portman is re-entering the arena with roles in two Terrence Malick films this year: 'Knight of Cups' and 'Lawless,' alongside Ryan Gosling.

Related: If you're looking to quench your McCarthy thirst, check out his Yelp reviews. No, they aren't actually written by Cormac McCarthy, but they're still just about the best thing the internet can do for you today.