Last minute casting: Jonah Hill added to 'Django Unchained'

Despite the bulk of Quentin Tarantino's western 'Django Unchained' having been shot (and a trailer already released), Jonah Hill has just been added to the cast list.

The Oscar nominee for 'Moneyball' was originally offered a role but had to turn it down due to prior contracted work but now that his schedule has freed up, he's back in the epic western albeit in a smaller part.

Tarantino is known for his gut instinct approach to casting, often taking stars against type to awards glory: John Travolta as a hitman in 'Pulp Fiction' and Robert Forster as a glacial bailbondsman in 'Jackie Brown' both scored Oscar nominations after their initial careers had been and gone.

'Django Unchained' affords Leonardio DiCaprio his first pure villain role as snarling Calvin Candie, owner of his own diabolical 'CandieLand' empire.

Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell and Sacha Baron Cohen have all dropped out of 'Django Unchained' after being cast for one reason or another, but with DiCaprio on board alongside Jamie Foxx in the lead and 'Inglorious Basterds' Oscar winner Christoph Waltz and Tarantino regular Samuel L Jackson still onboard, it's hardly star-less.

Creating an enviable blend of comedy and drama on his packed CV, Jonah Hill will reteam with DiCaprio for Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street' right after 'Django Unchained'.

'Django Unchained' opens on Christmas Day in the States and the 18th of January 2013 in the UK. Watch the first full-length international trailer HERE at Cinemas Online.

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