Although he’s not the kind of guy you would normally expect to see in a big Hollywood action blockbuster, Thomas McCarthy has signed on to star in Roland Emmerich’s upcoming apocalyptic thriller “2012.”

The film focuses on a little group of people struggling with the large-scale cataclysm ensuing from the end of the world in 2012. John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and Amanda Peet are already on board.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, McCarthy will play Peet’s boyfriend. Peet herself will star as the ex-wife of Cusack’s character, a limo driver who wants to become a writer.

McCarthy’s acting credits include small roles in “Michael Clayton” and “Flags of Our Fathers.” He’s also known for writing and directing “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” two of my favorite indie flicks.

Shooting for “2012” will kick off later this summer, with a release scheduled for July 10, 2009.