Duvall Negotiates With Denzel

Robert Duvall has signed on at the last minute to star opposite Denzel Washington in John Q. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, John Q is the story of a father (Washington) who can't afford to pay for his son's heart operation and whose circumstances force him to take an ER room hostage in order to perform the operation. In a report by the Hollywood Reporter, sources confirmed that Duvall will play the cop/hostage negotiator who tries to talk Washington into backing down. Shooting begins early next month.