LOS ANGELES – Luke Evans and Alice Eve are in negotiations to star opposite John Cusack in "The Raven," the Edgar Allan Poe-centered period thriller being directed by James McTeigue.

Evans steps into the shoes vacated by Jeremy Renner, who was slated to star in the picture but in late August segued instead to "Mission: Impossible IV."

Evans will play a detective who partners with Poe (Cusack) to search for a serial killer who has kidnapped the author's fiancee (Eve) and gone on a murder spree that mimics the author's work. The project begins shooting in late October, with Budapest and Serbia standing in for 1849 Baltimore.

Eve, who turned heads in "She's Out of My League," recently wrapped the British comedy "The Decoy Bride" and is shooting the thriller "ATM."

Evans stars opposite Gemma Arterton in the recently released "Tamara Drewe." The British actor has been working nonstop this year, shooting "Immortals" during the summer and currently wrapping "The Three Musketeers," an adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.