The film news and trailer site, ComingSoon.net has passed on some unconfirmed gossip that Elizabeth Banks (Role Models, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) is in talks to co-star with the very popular,  Bradley Cooper, (The Hangover, Valentine’s Day) in the upcoming dark drama, Dark Fields.

Daily Helping had previously recommended the book back in January of ‘09.

It’s a brilliant novel by Alan Glynn (which up until recently, was his only published novel). A down-and-out writer (Cooper) procures a top-secret pharmaceutical drug from his old dealer who claims to have gone straight. The pill makes you smarter.  Really smart. Smart like you can learn Portuguese in the time it takes to read a phrase book, which in this case is about thirty-minutes.  He uses his new-found ability to obtain obscene financial and social success but eventually discovers that the drug has lethal and lasting side effects.  Then there are those who want the drug for themselves…

A year ago, news of the film adaptation started and then stopped with news that Shia Labeouf was lined up to play Cooper’s part.  The casting choice was nothing short of sabotage not to mention a shift in the lead character’s age by about twenty years.  Labeouf was filming “Transformers” at the time and found himself in a car accident which caused some fairly serious damage to his hand.  Shia was out of Dark Fields and a collective sigh of relief could be heard by the book’s devoted fans.

The Dark Fields is one of those novels that you can’t put down, once you give it a look. It’s also a novel that you envision as a film, while you’re reading it.

The Daily Helping says you need to find the book at your local bookstore or online vendor. It’s a fantastic reading experience and best read before the movie trailer dilutes your pleasure.

UPDATE: Robert DeNiro is scheduled to join the filming of Dark Fields in May.