Bardem signs up for 'Biutiful' role

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Spanish actor Javier Bardem has signed on to star in Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Spanish-language film "Biutiful," Variety.com said.

Bardem won an Oscar this year for his work in the film "No Country for Old Men."

"Biutiful," which is to start shooting next week on location in Spain, marks Gonzalez Inarritu's first project since his high-profile parting with former screenwriting partner Guillermo Arriaga.

Gonzalez Inarritu and Arriaga worked together on the critically acclaimed films "Amores perros," "21 Grams" and "Babel" but reportedly had a falling out over writing credits for those movies.

"Biutiful," which Gonzalez Inarritu wrote and will direct, is about a man engaged in shady dealings and confronted by a policeman who had been his friend when he was a boy, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.