Robert Downey Jr. Will Be Jamie Foxx's Co-Lead in The Soloist

Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. has been billed to play L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez opposite Jamie Foxx's Nathaniel Ayers in based-on-true-story drama "The Soloist."

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Getting another Oscar-recognized talent following Jamie Foxx, DreamWorks Pictures has picked up Robert Downey Jr. to accompany the "Ray" actor as his co-lead in "The Soloist", Variety has informed.

Here Downey Jr., fresh from "Iron Man" filming, will assume the role of Steve Lopez, the L.A. Times columnist who discovered the abundant talent of Foxx's schizophrenic character Nathaniel Ayers as a violinist. The Lopez in real life has written a number of columns about the music prodigy as well as a book which is slated to hit stores next spring.

Production is scheduled to start January next year in Los Angeles under the direction of "Pride and Prejudice" helmer Joe Wright who is set to carry out his duties from script written by "Erin Brockovich" scribe Susannah Grant. Serving as producers are Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff while Rikki Bestall and Tim Bevan is co-producing and executive producing, respectively.

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