David Strathairn joins the cast of Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley

Actor David Strathairn is the latest to join the cast of Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley. An adaptation of the 1946 noir novel of the same name by William Lindsay, the film will be headlined by Bradley Cooper. 

The novel was first made into a film in 1947 and starred Tyrone Power in the lead role. The del Toro directorial also stars Toni Collette, Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett.

Set in a world of carnival hustlers and con men, Nightmare Alley is about a mentalist (Cooper) who teams up with a psychologist in order to swindle the rich. Things go south for him when he is out-hustled by a woman.

Strathairn will play the alcoholic husband of Collette's character, a mentalist named Zeena who ends up mentoring Cooper's character.

Del Toro has co-written the thriller, which will be shot in Toronto in 2020.