Robert Duvall is in final talks to join the Warner Bros. drama The Judge, alongside Robert Downey Jr.

The story centers on a successful lawyer (Robert Downey Jr.) who returns to his hometown and learns that his father (Robert Duvall), the town's judge, is accused of murdering his mother. The attorney sets out to find the truth, while reconnecting with his estranged dad, who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease.

We reported in November that Jack Nicholson was in talks for the role, but a deal was never reached. Tommy Lee Jones was also in consideration before the studio decided on Robert Duvall.

David Dobkin is directing from a screenplay by Bill Dubuque, who rewrote the original draft by Nick Schenk (Gran Torino). The studio is also closing in on casting the lawyer's ex-girlfriend, with Vera Farmiga and Elizabeth Banks considered the top choices for the part.

Robert Duvall last starred in the Tom Cruise action-thriller Jack Reacher.