Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage has signed on to join Melissa McCarthy in the upcoming Universal Pictures comedy Michelle Darnell. We first reported on this project back in January, when Universal set an April 8, 2016 release date. Melissa McCarthy will play the title character, described as "a titan of industry" who is arrested and sent to prison for insider trading. After her stint behind bars, she emerges ready to rebrand herself as "America's sweetheart," only to find that several people she screwed over aren't quite ready to let her off the hook.

No specific details were given for Peter Dinklage's character, but Variety reports he will play the main antagonist. Universal was trying to decide if a male or female actor would be the right fit for this role, since the studio was more interested in finding the right actor or actress who could "chew up every scene he or she is in." Universal was considering a wide range of candidates for the role, including Jon Hamm, Oprah Winfrey and Melissa McCarthy's The Heat co-star Sandra Bullock, before ultimately deciding on Peter Dinklage.

Ben Falcone is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Melissa McCarthy and Steve Mallory, based on a character Melissa McCarthy created. Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy are also producing through their On the Day Productions company, alongside Gary Sanchez Productions' Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. No production schedule was given at this time.

Best known for his Emmy-winning role as Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage recently starred in X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. He will next be seen in the summer comedy Pixels, which hits theaters July 24. The actor also lends his voice to the animated video game adaptation Angry Birds, arriving July 1, 2016.