Luke Evans Lands Key Role in DreamWorks' 'The Girl on the Train' (Exclusive)

The actor takes the part that was initially earmarked for Jared Leto.

The Girl on the Train, DreamWorks' adaptation of the hit book, is adding Luke Evans to the cast. The actor has stepped into the shoes that were to be worn by Jared Leto, whose deal never took due to a scheduling issue.

Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett and Edgar Ramirez are all on board for the film, which will begin shooting this week.

Leto is the second actor whose involvement with Train went off the rails due to scheduling. In October, Justin Theroux joined the cast in a part that was initially earmarked for Chris Evans. When THR broke the potential involvement of Leto and Evans in September, scheduling was stated as stumbling block to an eventual deal for both actors.

Train is DreamWorks’ adaptation of the best-seller by Paula Hawkins and sees Blunt playing a troubled woman (an alcoholic whose husband left her for his mistress) who becomes fascinated by a seemingly perfect couple whose home she passes while riding the train. But after she thinks she witnesses a murder, she begins to realize that she may have been involved in the crime.

Evans will now play the husband of a neighbor (Bennett) that goes missing.

Marc Platt is producing the film, which will be executive produced by Jared LeBoff and Celia Costas. The Help helmer Tate Taylor is directing from a script by Erin Cressida Wilson.

Evans played the villain in Fast & Furious 6 and starred as Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movies. He portrays Gaston in Disney’s live-action rendition of Beauty and the Beast which is set for a March 2017 release.

He is repped by WME and United Agents in the U.K.