Despite a questionable 14-year age difference between them, Scarlett Johansson has closed a deal to play Matt Damon's wife in 20th Century Fox's "We Bought a Zoo," her publicist has confirmed to TheWrap.
Cameron Crowe's true-life drama is based on a memoir by Benjamin Mee, who spent his life savings to move his family to the English countryside where they operated a dilapidated zoo together.
Damon will star as Mee, who had to balance caring for his sick wife with the many responsibilities of renovating and re-opening a zoo filled with 200 exotic animals, some of which were endangered.
Johansson's character, the grounded one in the relationship, is dying of brain cancer and will be seen mostly in flashbacks.
Colin Ford (the CW's "Supernatural") was recently cast as the couple's son.
Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada") wrote the initial draft of the screenplay, which has since been rewritten by Crowe.
Julie Yorn is producing "We Bought a Zoo," which Fox plans to release on Dec. 23, 2011.
Johansson recently became attached to star in Jonathan Glazer's sci-fi drama "Under the Skin." The four-time Golden Globe-nominated actress is preparing to reprise her "Iron Man 2" role of Black Widow in Joss Whedon's "The Avengers."
Johansson is represented by CAA and her casting was first reported by Deadline.
