'Juno' star to play opposite Batman's villain in 'Peacock'

Ellen Page & Cillian Murphy (R)

The star of teenage pregnancy drama comedy "Juno" Ellen Page is said to be cast in a new psychological thriller for Mandate Pictures. According to Variety, the acclaimed young actress is set to star alongside Cillian Murphy, the actor who portrayed Scarecrow in blockbuster superhero film "Batman Begins".

The two nabbed lead roles in the Michael Lander-directed film. Page will play a struggling young mother, while Murphy is signed to depict a man with split personality whose key to his past was held by Page's character. On her character and the film, Page commented, "This is one of the boldest screenplays I've come across in my albeit short career. It's a character and story I can throw myself into and exactly the type of movie I love to be part of." Further, Murphy said, "'Peacock' stunned me as a script from start to finish. It offers an incredible challenge to an actor -- one I couldn't turn down."

Penned by Lander and Ryan Roy, the movie centers on Murphy's character as he tricked the people in the small town of Peacock, Nebraska, into believing that his two personalities are actually husband and wife, but the existence of Page's character ignites a battle between the two alter egos. The film is scheduled to start filming in May.