BRAD PITT - BRAD PITT 'TO STAR' IN TARANTINO'S INGLORIOUS BASTARDS

Brad Pitt has signed to star in Quentin Tarantino's new World War II drama Inglorious Bastards, reports claim.

According to Variety, the Fight Club star has inked a deal to play a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a motley crew of Jewish-American soldiers to take on the German forces.

Though Pitt had a memorable cameo role in True Romance, scripted by Tarantino, this will be the first time he has worked with the Pulp Fiction director.

"You'll see something different with the two of them," Tarantino's producer Laurence Bender told the Hollywood Reporter. "They're going to push each other and really help make something special."

Pitt joins Hostel director Eli Roth in having concluded his deal to star in the war movie, with the latter signed to star as Sergeant Donnie Donnowitz.

But with shooting due to commence in Germany on October 13th, and Cannes 2009 premiere planned, Tarantino and producer Bender are moving quickly to sign up further cast members.

Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg is reportedly in talks to star as a British lieutenant while The Office's BJ Novak and Numbers actor David Krumholtz are in negotiations to play members of Pitt's team.

And Tarantino is set to continue his run of left-field casting choices with Nastassja Kinski in discussions to make her first American film in nearly a decade.

According to Variety, Tim Roth had been attached to feature, but has been forced to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict with his new television series.