Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard and Cillian Murphy are in talks to join Leonardo DiCaprio in the cast of "Inception," the latest project from "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan.

The Warner Bros. project is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within "the architecture of the mind." In keeping with most things associated with Nolan's project, the secrecy extends to the character descriptions.

James Franco was in talks to join the project but had to bow out due to a scheduling conflict with Universal's comedy "Your Highness." Nolan and the studio are aiming for a summer shoot ahead of a 2010 release

Page, who scored an Oscar nomination last year for "Juno," next stars in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, "Whip It!"

Cotillard, who won the Oscar last year for "La Vie en rose," appears in this summer's Michael Mann movie "Public Enemies." Murphy worked with Nolan in both of the director's Batman movies, portraying the villain Scarecrow.

(China Daily/Agencies, April 2, 2009)