Joel Edgerton and Luke Evans up for 'Gatsby' Role

By Adnan Tezer May 17, 2011, 19:07 GMT

Joel Edgerton and Luke Evans are considered to be the finalists for the role of Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's 3D adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" for Warner Bros.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck was close to nailing down the part but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts with his next directing project, the Warner Bros. political thriller "Argo."

Based on the literary classic by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the book is set in the rich society of 1920s Long Island, N.Y. and focuses on eccentric millionaire Jay Gatsby. Nick Carraway narrates the novel. Daisy Buchanan is Gatsby's long lost love, who is married to a rich man named Tom Buchanan.

The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. Isla Fisher will play Myrtle, a married woman having an affair with Tom Buchanan.

Luhrmann and Craig Pearce wrote the adaptation.

Luhrmann is also producing along with Lucy Fisher, Catherine Martin and Douglas Wick.

The novel has been made into a film three previous times (1926, 1949, 1974).

Both Edgerton and Evans are on the brink of stardom with Edgerton starring in Universal's upcoming remake of "The Thing" and Evans appearing as Aramis in Paul W.S. Anderson's version of "The Three Musketeers."