Oscar winners William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden have signed on to the drama, Into the Wild for Paramount Vantage.

Sean Penn is writing and directing the film which is based on Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book about the true story of Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch). The Hollywood Reporter adds he's a man who graduated from college in 1992, abandoned his possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness and return to nature. He died four months later in an abandoned bus at a remote campsite.

Also starring in the film is Vince Vaughn and Catherine Keener; Hurt and Harden will play McCandless' parents. No production schedule is set for Into the Wild.