Dunst Takes On Disaster

Kirsten Dunst has been cast in the lead role of "Melancholia", the new pic from controversial director Lars von Trier ("Antichrist," "Dogville") says Deadline New York.

Dunst takes over for Penelope Cruz who was originally in negotiations for the role before she took "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" instead

Dunst joins Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, Alexander Skarsgård, Stellan Skarsgård and Udo Kier.

Filming on the sci-fi disaster film kicks off this July in Sweden for release sometime next year.