Plummer and Mirren have been cast in the drama The Last Station, a biographical film about the Russian writer and philosopher, Leo Tolstoy. Filming begins April 7 in Germany, reports Variety.
The Last Station is a screen adaptation of Jay Parini’s novel which recounts Tolstoy’s final turbulent years of life and his troubled marriage.
Plummer and Mirren will replace actors Anthony Hopkins and Meryl Streep, who had initially been chosen for the roles of Tolstoy and his wife Sofia, in the film directed by Michael Hoffman.
Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist) and James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia) also appear in The Last Station. Giamatti plays Chertkov, a supporter of the Tolstoy’s Christian socialist movement and Sofia’s nemesis. McAvoy takes on the role as a naïve secretary sent by Chertkov to work with the Russian writer. British actress Anne-Marie Duff, who is married to McAvoy, portrays Sasha, Tolstoy’s daughter.
The Last Station will debut in Germany in 2009.