Viggo Mortensen ‘wanted for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight’

Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen is allegedly in talks to join the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight.

The actor is in negotiations to appear as a “ruthless gang leader” in the upcoming Western, according to New York Daily News.

Set in post-Civil War Wyoming, The Hateful Eight follows a band of bounty hunters who try to find shelter during a blizzard, only to become entangled in a web of betrayal and deception.

Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Amber Tamblyn, Jennifer Lawrence and Tim Roth have linked with the project, but casting is yet to be announced.

Hateful Eight’s development was suspended in January after its screenplay leaked online, but Tarantino has since revived the venture and is looking to fast-track its production.

Tarantino’s last attempt at a Western, Django Unchained, earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

The Hateful Eight is expected to arrive in cinemas next autumn.