AceShowbiz -

Finally commences the quest to attain its goal in getting an all-star cast for musical project "Nine", The Weinstein Company reportedly is holding talks with the likes of Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard to get them boarded the cast.

Bardem is learned to have just received offer for the lead role of director Guido Contini while Cruz and Cotillard are in the line to play Contini's mistress Carla and his wife Louisa, respectively.

Apart from the three, Weinstein Co. apparently has two other big names in mind for the flick as it turns out to eye Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sophia Loren to also star in. The former is reported to be courted to portray Contini's muse and the latter his mother, who appears as a ghost.

An adaptation of the Maury Yeston/Arthur T. Kopit musical of the same name inspired by Federico Fellini's autobiographical film "8½", "Nine" has already had "Chicago" director Rob Marshall to helm as well as to produce and choreograph alongside John DeLuca, his partner in Lucamar Productions. In terms of casting, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker is said to have intention to set the lineup early to custom-fit the roles to the strengths of each performer.