Last November is was reported that Robert Downey Jr. was trying to convince Jack Nicholson to play his father in The Judge. However with Nicholson making very few films these days, he decided to pass, and so now THR reports that Robert Duvall is in final talks to join the drama The Judge.
The movie is about a successful lawyer (Downey Jr.) who returns to his hometown after he learns that his father (Duvall), the town’s judge, has been accused of murdering his mother. The attorney sets out to discover the truth whilst also reconnecting with his estranged dad, who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease.
Tommy Lee Jones was also in consideration for the title role, before the studio decided on Robert Duvall.
The studio is also said to close casting the lawyer’s ex-girlfriend, with Vera Farmiga and Elizabeth Banks considered the top choices for the part. David Dobkin is directing from a screenplay by Bill Dubuque, who rewrote the original draft by Nick Schenk (Gran Torino).