Alan Arkin to star in Ben Affleck's 'Argo'

Ben Affleck is starting to cast his upcoming film "Argo," and the great Alan Arkin is the first to officially jump on board. Written by Chris Terrio, the film is the adaptation of Joshuah Bearman's Wired magazine article "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue American from Tehran."

The story follows on the 1979 Tehran hostage situation during which the CIA and the Canadian government teamed up to rescue six U.S. diplomats. Variety says Arkin is set to play film producer Lester Siegel. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing "Argo."

As for Arkin, his recent credits include "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," "City Island" and "Get Smart." The "Little Miss Sunshine" star will soon be seen in "The Change-Up" and "The Muppets."