Viggo Mortensen was being rumoured to be heading up John Hillcoat's adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel The Road, however the word is that it's not going to be Mortensen after all but Guy Pearce.

The novel tells the story of a father and son who make a journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland to get to the coast where they think it will be safe, all the while trying not to get caught be the surviving humans who are now crazy and/or cannibals.

John Hillcoat will direct the Joe Penhall for Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road (Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com).

We did hear the rumour that Viggo Mortensen was up for the lead role of the father, now though we hear from Shock Till You Drop through Coming Soon that it's going to be Guy Pearce, although no source is given.

It's difficult to say how this will turn out, but John Hillcoat and Guy Pearce suggest something strong, and rather bleak, since they both worked on The Proposition together. Has anyone read the book and can comment on the story?