Angelina Jolie to join The Counsellor

Los Angeles - Angelina Jolie is in talks to appear in The Counsellor.

The Salt actress has reportedly begun negotiations for a role in the forthcoming Ridley Scott movie, though insiders insist it is for a "small" part rather than as a leading lady.

Shame actor Michael Fassbender is already confirmed to star in the film, which has been penned by Cormac McCarthy - the award-winning author who wrote The Road and No Country for Old Men - and follows a lawyer who decides to get "a little bit" involved in the drug business, only to discover there is no way to just do that.

Director Ridley described the film recently, saying: "[It's a story of how] you shouldn't play with the devil, don't step across the line, don't think you can do it and get away with it. You can't."

Studio 20th Century Fox - who most recently worked with the director on Prometheus - have approached the helmsman about distributing and possibly co-financing the film.

Angelina's next project, Maleficent, will shoot in late June or early July, ahead of a release in March 2014, meaning she would have the time to work on a small role in The Counsellor, which is slated to shoot in June.