Mere weeks ago, an admitted non-Kristen Stewart fan (ahem, me) lauded Kristen Stewart for her continued interest in making new features with critically acclaimed directors, thanks to the news that the Still Alice and Clouds Of Sils Maria star had joined Kelly Reichardt’s next feature. Stewart, who is knee-deep in what seems to be one hell of a second act, has continued on that path (one littered with directors like Olivier Assayas and Tim Blake Nelson) and may next appear in Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which has already lined up a stellar cast for itself.
The Wrap reports that Stewart is currently in negotiations to play the sister of the eponymous Billy Lynn, Kathryn, though little else is known about the role.
Based on Ben Fountain’s book of the same name, the film “follows 19-year-old Texas-born infantryman Billy Lynn and his fellow U.S. servicemen who survive a firefight in Iraq in 2005. The Bush administration brings the veterans home for a victory lap that leads them to the Dallas Cowboys’ football stadium where they’re honored during the team’s Thanksgiving halftime show before they return to war in Iraq.” Although I am unfamiliar with the source material, I’m willing to guess that Stewart’s role could be an emotionally charged one.
The film has already cast newbie Joe Alwyn in the lead role, along with Steve Martin and Garrett Hedlund. Deadline now reports that Pitch Perfect magician/singer Ben Platt has also joined the film’s cast. And before you joke that the film does not sound like the sort to feature singing, remember, in the book, the vets share a stage with Beyonce.