Couple of new goings-on on the set of The Conspirator – including some reported new cast additions – coming right on the heels of the announcement (thanks, Renn!) that Justin Long has signed onto Robert Redford’s tale of aftermath of the the Lincoln Assassination.  First off, The Playlist has the first look of James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken, the defense attorney to Robin Wright Penn’s Mary Surratt, who was the only woman to be charged in the murder conspiracy against the president.  Generally, I’m thinking the McAvoy pic’s either A) a candid shot, B) ole Sundance has some unusual notions about the term “period-piece,” C) or Arrowhead got some soon-to-be-infamous product placement.  I’m choosing to not comment on the monitors if A) turns out to be incorrect.  Playlist also has a shot of Penn as Surratt.

Meanwhile, although there are no snaps of either yet, Toby Kebbell (RockNRolla) has reportedly hopped aboard as the “Sic Semper Tyrannus” guy (that’d be John Wilkes Booth himself) as has Evan Rachel Wood as Surratt’s daughter, Anna.  The film centers on Mary Surratt’s struggle as an accused co-conspirator in the assassination who must rely on her very reluctant lawyer (McAvoy) to uncover the truth and save her life as the entire country is screaming for her head (or at least the half above the Mason Dixon Line). 

Shooting starts this week in Savannah, where we have Renn masquerading as a student while secretly going through Redford’s garbage.

Click on over to see the full snap of McAvoy and Penn.  And thanks to Rodrigo at Playlist as always for the heads up.