Nightmare Alley

The film is said to be based on the novel of the same name by author William Lindsay Gresham and the report says the film “follows roustabout Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle, who joins a traveling carnival and unsuccessfully schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband, Pete. But when Pete dies, Zeena is forced to take on Stan as a partner, and he quickly proves more gifted than his predecessor. Ambitious to a fault, it’s not long before Stan goes out on his own — to mixed results.”

Collette is being looked at to play Zeena, while Cooper will portray Stan. Dafoe is lined up to play Pete, but the report says that the actor’s role could be changed from husband to father in the film version. Mara would portray Molly, the potential love interest for Stan. And Perlman would play Bruno, the carnival’s strongman.