John Cusack replaces Tobey Maguire in `Paperboy`

Los Angeles: Hollywood actor John Cusack is set to star in `Precious` director Lee Daniels` follow-up drama `The Paperboy`.

The `2012` star joins the ensemble cast which includes Zac Efron, while Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey are also in talks for key roles, reported Variety online. Cusack replaces `Spider Man` star Tobey Maguire, who had to drop out of the project when its shooting schedule conflicted with his dates on `The Great Gatsby`. Based on the 1995 novel by Pete Dexter, the Florida-set period film revolves around two brothers, a reporter and a college dropout, teaming up to investigate a possible miscarriage of justice surrounding a death row inmate convicted of killing the local sheriff. Cusack will play the condemned prisoner, while Kidman will play a woman with a dark side who writes letters to men on death row. The actor recently wrapped `Dictablanda`. He will next be seen playing Edgar Allan Poe in James McTeigue`s `The Raven`. PTI