Waterston Steps Into Theron's "Vice" Role

Katherine Waterston ("Taking Woodstock," "Michael Clayton") has joined the cast of Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of author Thomas Pynchon's novel "Inherent Vice" says Deadline.

In 1969 Los Angeles, Joaquin Phoenix will play a stoner detective named Doc Sportello, whose ex-girlfriend (Waterston) Shasta, sets things in motion. Now a straight-laced partner to a real estate mogul, she enlists Doc's help to protect the mogul from his murderous wife and her young boytoy.

Charlize Theron was tipped for the part but is busy shooting Seth MacFarlane's "Blazing Saddles"-style western comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West.  Robert Downey Jr. had been attached to the lead role

Martin Short Owen Wilson Jena Malone Reese Witherspoon Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro co star. Sean Penn is up to take a role as well.

Anderson wrote the adapted screenplay

Anderson, Megan Ellison, John Lesher and JoAnne Sellar will produce the film .

PTA has been talking about making Vice since 2010, but went off to make The Master instead. Word is PTA is looking to make Vice into a comedy in the vein of Cheech and Chong meets The Big Lebowski or Boogie Nights.

Production hopes to begin this summer.