Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Stanley Tucci look set to join the high profile cast of Spotlight, Tom McCarthy’s drama about the Catholic Church paedophile scandal in Boston, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

McCarthy, formerly star of The Wire who has also won critical praise for directing independent dramas Win Win, The Visitor and The Station Agent, is said to be in advanced talks with all four actors. Ruffalo and McAdams would play reporters for the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer prize for public service in 2003 for its series of articles exposing the scandal. McAdams is said to be taking a supporting role.

The Globe’s original story centred on a 2001 court filing by Boston cardinal Bernard Law in which he admitted to having assigned Father John Geoghan to St Julia’s church in the Boston suburb of Weston in 1984 despite having been aware that the priest was accused of molesting seven boys from the same family at his previous parish. The reporting team spent a year interviewing victims and reviewing thousands of documents exposing what turned out to be a far wider coverup of abuse. Within two years of the first of the Globe’s 800 articles on the scandal appearing in January 2002, Cardinal Law had resigned, 150 priests in Boston stood accused of sexual abuse, more than 500 victims had filed abuse claims, and church-goers’ donations to the archdiocese had slumped by 50%.

The film’s title stems from the name of the Globe’s “Spotlight Team”, which was rewarded with the Pulitzer for its “courageous, comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy; stirred local, national and international reaction; and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church”.
It is not known which roles Keaton and Tucci are considering. Spotlight will be the fifth feature film as director for McCarthy, 48, who also has the Adam Sandler comedy-drama The Cobbler set to hit cinemas this year.