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Warner Bros. has shuttered its Paradise Lost movie project, effectively ending all chances of it being made in its present shape. The fatal blows that finally brought Paradise Lost crashing to earth was twofold: it's high budget and whether the film's special effects could be effectively pulled off on screen.

Paradise Lost was to star Bradley Cooper as Lucifer and Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) as Michael, once brotherly archangels in Heaven and then fierce adversaries on opposite sides of the war. Also cast in the picture were Djimon Hounsou as Abdiel, Camille Belle as Eve, Dominic Purcell as Jerahmeel, Diego Boneta as Adam, Casey Affleck as Gabriel and Rufus Sewell as Samael. Alex Proyas (The Crow, Knowing) was going to direct.

Is there any chance that something could happen to put Paradise Lost back on? In Hollywood one should never say never but the actors have been released from their contracts. Even if the show were to get a break and get a second greenlight it wouldn't turn out as it had been planned. [Full story]

Production work on Paradise Lost has been halted to give necessary time for the producing team to shrink the budget.

Everything had been on track for filming to start in early 2012 but the proposed budget of $120 million now seems to have grown anywhere between 10% to 15% larger. Legendary Pictures is bankrolling the heavy effects laden movie and wants director Alex Proyas to find ways to get those costs back to earth.

While the delay is serious, it shouldn't cut off the wings and keep Paradise Lost grounded forever. The first day of filming might now be pushed back to summer '12.

Dominic Purcell has now joined the cast for the forces of darkness. He'll play a fallen angel named Jerahmeel who sides with Lucifer during the rebellion in Heaven. Once Lucifier and his army have been cast down, Jerahmeel is renamed Moloch and becomes the right-hand man to Lucifer.

Purcell starred in four seasons of the Fox TV series Prison Break. He's also in theaters right now appearing in the remake of Straw Dogs and Killer Elite.

Callan McAuliffe has been cast as the archangel Uriel, another warrior of God that fights against Lucifer's uprising, in the film. Also, Diego Boneta (who has a starring role in the upcoming adaptation of Rock of Ages) is being considered for the role of Adam, the first man.

As casting continues on the project, the next two names rumored to be under consideration are Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) in the role of the angel Gabriel and Camille Belle (10,000 BC) is being considered for the part of Eve.

The third known cast member of Alex Proyas' Paradise Lost is Djimon Hounsou. The Gladiator and Constantine co-star will play Abdiel, also known as the angel of death in Milton's poem.

Benjamin Walker is now in talks to play the archangel Michael, God's lieutenant and the leader of the Heavenly Army that fights against Lucifer, in Paradise Lost.

Walker just wrapped playing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for director Timur Bekmambetov. He's also had parts in the Clint Eastwood World War II drama Flags of Our Fathers and the drama/biopic Kinsey.