Matthew Fox (Speed Racer, "Lost") is in negotiations to star in Warner Bros.' Billy Smoke, based on the Oni Press comic about a hit man seeking redemption, says Variety.

The project is produced by Basil Iwanyk at Thunder Road and Eric Gitter at Closed on Mondays Entertainment. Oni's Peter Sherwin will executive produce.

The story centers on an elite hit man who's nearly killed during a botched job and realizes that his only way to find redemption is to rid the world of all assassins.

The comic book series, written by B. Clay Moore and illustrated by Eric Kim, will be published by Oni Press next year.

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Variety says that Legendary Pictures has confirmed last week's reports that it is developing a 300 follow-up for Warner Bros. that Frank Miller is writing and Zack Snyder is intended to direct.

Miller is writing the graphic novel the project will be based upon, although at this point it's not clear whether it will be a prequel or spin-off.

Snyder won't officially commit until after he sees Miller's take, but he's definitely interested, says the trade.

Legendary, which also co-financed and produced Snyder's Watchmen for Warners, considers the project a major priority.

"The vision of Frank Miller's universe that Zack Snyder brought to the screen in '300' is unlike anything ever seen before," said Legendary's Thomas Tull. "We want to be certain that the story originates with Frank and be as compelling as the first."

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Scot Armstrong has been hired to do additional script work on the MGM comedy The Zookeeper, says The Hollywood Reporter. Walt Becker is attached to direct and produce the film along with Jennifer Eatz and Broken Road's Todd Garner, who came up with the idea.

Original writers Jay Scherick and David Ronn sold their spec script -- about a lonely, misguided zookeeper who gets unexpected romantic help from the animals in his care -- to MGM in April.

Armstrong has several projects in development, including Multiple Mary, which he co-wrote and will direct and produce for New Line.

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Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Zoe Bell are joining Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore in Whip It!, the Mandate Pictures' roller derby comedy that marks the feature directorial debut by Barrymore.

The Hollywood Reporter says Harden plays an overbearing ex-beauty queen who would rather see her daughter, Bliss (Page), in pageants than skates. Wiig ("Saturday Night Live") plays Bliss' rowdy mentor, Malice in Wonderland. Lewis is Dinah Might, the star of Austin's top team. Bell plays a medical technician moonlighting as derby star Bloody Holly.

The film begins shooting this summer in Michigan and Texas.

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Malik Yoba and Warren Kole have joined Fox's one-hour pilot "Inseparable," while Erik Jensen, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Clea DuVall have been added to Fox's two-hour backdoor pilot "Virtuality."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Inseparable" is a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde tale about Justin Lamreaux (Lloyd Owen), a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist with a split personality whose alter ego Clyde is a charismatic criminal.

Yoba will play a detective who works with Lambreaux and is oblivious to his double life. Kole will play a young detective eager to move up.

"Virtuality" is set aboard the Phaeton, Earth's first starship, on a journey to explore a distant solar system.

Jensen will play the Phaeton's navigator. Cantillo will play a mathematician. DuVall will play the Phaeton's co-pilot and engineer.

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"The Wire" star Amy Ryan has joined "The Office" for multiple episodes next season, reports Variety.

Ryan is set to appear in at least five episodes in the fall, reprising her role as human resources rep Holly Flax. Ryan's character first showed up in "The Office's" season finale as a potential love interest for Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

In the season-four ender, "Goodbye, Toby," Ryan's character replaced long-suffering HR staffer Toby Flenderson, played by Paul Lieberstein.

Ryan earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Gone Baby Gone and also appeared with Carell in Dan in Real Life.