Sturgess, Ronan to join Weir's 'Way Back'

Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan are in talks to star in Peter Weir's fact-based drama "The Way Back." Colin Farrell and Ed Harris are in negotiations as well.

Written by Weir and based on the book by Slavomir Ravich, the film centeres on a group of soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940.

Variety offered some new information about who's playing who. Farrell is set to star as a tattooed Russian, while Harris is on board to play an American. Sturgess plays a Polish inmate, with Ronan starring as a Russian on the run.

Shooting is scheduled to start in March, with the film set for release in 2011. Weir, who has been nominated for six Oscars so far, also directed "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "The Truman Show" and "Dead Poets Society."

Sturgess recently starred in "21." He will soon be seen in Wayne Kramer's drama "Crossing Over." As for Ronan, she was last seen in "City of Ember." She recently wrapped filming for "The Lovely Bones."