Abbie Cornish To Act For Madonna In 'W.E.' Also Cast In 'Dark Fields'

Following up last year's "Bright Star," Abbie Cornish is moving forward with yet another period piece. This one's a little more modern however, and it's being directed by none other than Madonna. According to Variety, the young actress will star in "W.E.," a film about the scandalous 1936 marriage of Wallis Simpson, an American socialite, to King Edward VIII, who had to give up his crown as a result.

Last month, when we first reported on Madonna's film, "Up in the Air" Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga was reportedly interested in the part. Even she wasn't quite old enough to play Simpson, who was 40 at the time of her wedding to Edward. Yet the 27-year-old Cornish seems even less appropriate for the role. Honestly, I'm still unclear why Madonna wouldn't play Simpson, despite being a little on the older side. Supposedly she's as passionate about this project as she was about "Evita," and she starred in that.

Some are theorizing that Cornish may not actually be playing Simpson at all, pointing to the initial announcement of Madonna's film as being primarily a romantic comedy featuring flashbacks to the Simpson/Edward affair and marriage. If this is still to be the focus of "W.E." then Cornish may in fact have been cast as the female lead in the modern segment of the film. Hopefully this will be cleared up for us soon.

In the meantime, there's another Cornish casting to tell you about: she'll be the female lead opposite Bradley Cooper in "Dark Fields," instead of Elizabeth Banks, as originally rumored. Not much about her character is known, but the film involves a down-and-out writer writer who starts taking an experimental drug called MDT. Robert De Niro will co-star as a financial mogul in the film, to be directed by Neil Burger ("The Illusionist").

Do either of these projects sound more appealing to you than "Bright Star"? Would you rather Cornish play a modern woman in "W.E." or the 1930s role?

Tags Abbie Cornish, Dark Fields, madonna, W.E.