Horns can add another nice check to its roster, as Variety reports that Max Minghella (The Ides of March, The Social Network) will be taking a supporting role alongside one Daniel Radcliffe in Horns. The Alexandre Aja film, once a sluggish project, has been gaining some real traction since the latter became attached to lead this adaptation of Joe Hill‘s popular horror novel.

Minghella‘s role would be that of Lee Tourneau, a supposedly “compassionate public defender” whose “hidden dark side” comes to light when Ig Parrish (Radcliffe), a bum suddenly granted the possession of demonic horns, is able to see into the past of whoever he encounters. (Not to give anything away, but Lee’s own is none too pretty.) So long as screenwriter Keith Bunin has remained faithful to the source material, Minghella is serving as Horns‘ second lead.

Knowing that — well, if you’ve liked the actor’s work up to this point — one can probably agree that things are looking up for Aja‘s film right now. With Red Granite and Mandalay Pictures also in tow, production on Horns is expected begin this fall and, given the way these things typically play out, a late 2013 release seems likely.

Will Minghella shift your opinion on Horns in any real way? What do you think of the project so far?