Wes Bentley Is Blackheart In Ghost Rider

Variety reports that "American Beauty" star Wes Bentley will play the villain Blackheart in Ghost Rider, the Columbia Pictures comic book adaptation that stars Nicolas Cage and is being directed by Mark Steven Johnson.

The Marvel Comics property centers on a motorcyclist who makes a pact with dark forces, gets double-crossed and battles the bad guys to protect the woman he loves. The movie is being produced by Michael De Luca, Avi Arad, Gary Foster and Ari Arad. Johnson rewrote a Shane Salerno script.

The trade adds that Bentley is a friend of Colin Farrell, who starred as Bullseye in Johnson's Daredevil. Farrell put the actor and helmer together for this new film.

Ghost Rider begins shooting next month in Australia.