Toni Collette, Dev Patel Set for Cast of DEFIANT

Deadline.com reports that Toni Collette and Dev Patel will join the cast of director Bill Bennett's upcoming film DEFIANT. The film, from The Little Company, is based on a true story which takes place in India.

The thriller will center on Hari (Patel), described as "a young man who is, along with his girlfriend, trying to escape vengeful parents who want to kill the lovers to stop them marrying." Collette will portray Sally Lane, a journalist who becomes caught up in danger as she tries to cover up the story of the lovers.

Toni Collette began her career in the early 1990s with comedic roles in films such as Spotswood (1992) and Muriel's Wedding (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Following her performances in Emma (1996) and The Boys (1998), Collette achieved international recognition as a result of her Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Lynn Sear in The Sixth Sense (1999). She has appeared in thrillers such as Shaft (2000) and Changing Lanes (2002) and independent comedy films like About a Boy (2002), Connie and Carla (2004), In Her Shoes (2005) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

In 2009, she began playing the lead role in the television series United States of Tara, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2010.

Patel starred in the 2008 Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire.