Javier Bardem was originally set for the role, but following his departure (or rather his non-arrival), villain duties on Oliver Stone's **Wall Street **sequel Money Never Sleeps have been offered to Josh Brolin, according to Deadline Hollywood.
This would be Brolin's second collaboration with Stone, following Bush biopic W. They obviously got on well.
Money Never Sleeps is already confirmed to star Shia LaBeouf as a young stock market turk, alongside Michael Douglas reprising his role as the odious Gordon Gekko. 21 years after the first film, Gekko is released from jail to find Sam Witwicky dating his estranged daughter and in need of a money mentor. A deal is struck...
DH's source says that the script covers the period between June 2008 to the federal bailout, and has taken advice from a number of real Wall Street movers and shakers to ensure horrifying accuracy.
Shooting starts at the end of August, with a very tentative possible release date of February 2010.