Michael Fassbender - pictured below, best known for his role as Stelios in 300 - is in final negotiations to join the cast of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards.

In other casting news, Simon Pegg had been close to signing on for the movie, but wrote on his website that "insurmountable scheduling difficulties" have gotten in the way.

Brad Pitt has agreed to play the lead in Inglorious Basterds. He'll portray a Tennessee hillbilly that assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to take on the Nazis. Mike Myers and Eli Roth are also on board.