Philip Seymour Hoffman is going to be a busy man in the next year; the Oscar-winner has signed on to star in the drama, Charlie Wilson's War for Universal. He's also going to join the cast of the drama, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead for Capitol Films.

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are already part of the cast for Charlie Wilson's War, directed by Mike Nichols; Variety reports it's the adaptation of the George Crile book about a rogue congressman and CIA agent who found the means to secretly arm rebels to fight against invading Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the early 1980s. Hoffman will play the CIA agent. Sidney Lumet has written the script and will be directing Before the Devil Knows You're Dead which is about brothers who try to rob their parents' jewelry store, only to botch the job. The film also stars Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei.Shooting for Devil begins next month in New York; he'll then head over to the production for Charlie Wilson's War which starts shooting in October.