Duvall, Caine, Osment Are 'Secondhand Lions'

New Line's "Secondhand Lions" is ready to roar, with Oscar winners Robert Duvall and Michael Caine to star as eccentric great-uncles taking care of Oscar nominee Haley Joel Osment one summer, reports Variety.

Tim McCanlies, writer-director of "Dancer, Texas" and scripter for "The Iron Giant," penned the script and will direct the family-friendly drama.

"Secondhand Lions" will feature f/x sequences that detail the fantastic tales about the uncles' youth with which the men regale the boy.

Still to be cast is the role of the boy's irresponsible mother, who fobs him off for the summer on her long-missing uncles, who have recently resurfaced with a lot of money.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in late September in Texas, with a release likely for late 2003 or early 2004.