Samuel L. Jackson will sidestep his blockbuster movie roles for his next film - an independent drama with Abigail Breslin and Maria Bello.

Jackson, who just last week signed a nine-movie deal with comic book giants Marvel Entertainment, will co-star in the big-screen adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' 2003 book, Rape: A Love Story, reports Daily Variety.

In the forthcoming film, the actor will play a sympathetic cop who offers comfort to Breslin's character and her mother, played by Bello, as her character recovers from a brutal gang rape.

Filming is scheduled to begin on the movie, directed by Harold Becker, in June.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)