The L.A. Confidential star, 61, will play Anne Sutton, a wealthy socialite from Texas, whose daughter Susan Morrow receives a surprise package containing the manuscript for her ex-husband's first novel, reports Deadline.com.

The film, based on author Austin Wright's 1993 novel Tony And Susan, landed fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Ford one of the biggest deals at the Cannes Film Festival in May (15), after it was acquired by bosses at Focus Features for $20 million (£12.5 million).

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have also been cast in the project, which will begin shooting this autumn (15).