Helen and Cuba to play family of killers

Helen Mirren is to star opposite Cuba Gooding Jr as a mother-and-stepson pair of contract killers.

The Prime Suspect actress, 58, and Oscar-winner Gooding Jr, 36, become romantically involved despite being related by marriage in the indie thriller Shadowboxer.

Actor Ryan Phillippe was originally cast as the main lead but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict and Gooding Jr accepted the part.

Shadowboxer is from the same writer as Monster’s Ball, the dark drama which earned Halle Berry an Oscar.