Timberlake joins Eastwood's "CURVE" ball pic

Variety is reporting that Justin Timberlake, who delivered a cracking turn as Napster founder Sean Parker in David Fincher's THE SOCIAL NETWORK, has signed on to join Clint Eastwood in TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE. The veteran filmmaker will produce the film for longtime collaborator Robert Lorenz, and this marks not only Lorenz's first time out as director, but the first film in which Eastwood has starred but not helmed since Wolfgang Peterson's IN THE LINE OF FIRE back in 1993.

Eastwood plays an ageing baseball scout who is losing his sight, and takes his daughter (Amy Adams) on the road to investigate a potential new signing. Timberlake is slated to play Johnny Flanagan, Eastwood's friend and himself a former player-turned-scout. Flanagan will also provide a potential love interest for Adams in the film.

This project puts to an end the rumours that came out of 2008's GRAN TORINO that Eastwood had retired from acting. The fact that he has chosen not to direct CURVE, while still producing through his Malpaso company, may reflect the rather lukewarm reception that his last three projects (INVICTUS, HEREAFTER and J.EDGAR) have received, as well as the fact that at the grand old age of 81, Eastwood may finally be getting a little tired. Personally I think this is a good move, as I'd far rather watch Eastwood on screen as he enters his final years, rather than suffer more half-baked films from Eastwood the director in which he does not star.

For Timberlake this is a great move. He won over a lot of critics with his turn in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, only to lose many of them again by churning out a string of mediocre star vehicles. With any luck, sharing screen time with Eastwood will rub off on the guy and if he can turn in another substantial performance here, could be set for a career of considerably more promising roles.