Rosario Dawson cast as Rent's Mimi

Rosario Dawson is set to star in Rent, Revolution's adaptation of Jonathan Larson's Tony-winning musical. Dawson will play Mimi Marquez, the Latina stripper afflicted with AIDS and a drug problem. Not only is Dawson the first actor to officially sign up for the pic but she also could end up being the only principal who was not in the original stage cast. Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, and Idina Menzel are in discussions to reprise their roles in the film. Chris Columbus, whose directorial credits include Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films, is directing Rent, which will begin production in the spring. Dawson, last seen in Shattered Glass and The Rundown, just wrapped Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's crime drama Sin City and will next be seen in Oliver Stone's Alexander.