Considering that Emperor is scheduled to start production this month, word on the project has been unusually quiet as far as casting is concerned. We first learned, back in November, that Peter Webber (Girl with a Pearl Earring, Hannibal Rising) had been tapped to direct. Then came the news of Matthew Fox‘s casting, which was probably music to the ears of every Lost fan out there.

We can now add Tommy Lee Jones‘ name to the crew of contributors, as he’s officially signed on to play Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the post-World War II-set film. But even with that news, the sum total still feels thin for a project that’s supposed to kick into gear any day now. [THR]

Here’s a quick reminder of the film’s epic-scale premise. The weaving of past and present with respect to Fox‘s character is already bringing back memories of those time-hopping Lost episodes.

Fox plays Gen. Bonner Fellers, a member of MacArthur’s staff and a leading expert on Japan. He’s charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: Whether Emperor Hirohito should be tried and hanged as a war criminal. Interwoven throughout the political saga is Feller’s quest to find Aya, a Japenese exchange student he met and fell in love with years earlier in the U.S.

I wouldn’t be surprised if more news on this one started pouring out in the next few weeks. It probably won’t hit theaters until 2013, but in any case, it’s another promising sign-on for Jones, whose 2012 — which includes roles in Men in Black III, Great Hope Springs, and Lincoln — is looking mighty busy.

What are your thoughts on what we know about Emperor thus far?

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