"I've always known I was meant to dominate your sex and avenge my own."

It sounds like Laura Linney is finally confirmed to be cast in Les Liasons Dangereuses, playing La Marquise de Merteuil, the sexy villainess. After hearing about this for what seems like YEARS, I'm kinda over it. She's a great actress, yes, but... Merteuil? Something just doesn't fit to me. Isn't it more of a role for someone like, say, Helen Mirren? Laura Linney feels a little miscast, a little midwestern and plain, and that role really has to be seductive and manipulative and fabulous. Not that I'm not looking forward to seeing it, and seeing her in it. I am! It just doesn't seem like such a natural fit, and I have doubts.

Any guesses on who's playing Valmont?

Update: Announcement came today that british actor Ben Daniels will play Valmont. Here's his bio:

Olivier Award winner Daniels (who earned the honor for the Royal National Theatre staging of All My Sons) has appeared on the London stage in Therese Raquin, Three Sisters, The Wild Duck, The God of Hell, Tales From Hollywood, Naked, Waiting for Godot, Entertaining Mr. Sloane and more. He has been seen on television in "The State Within," "Elizabeth-The Virgin Queen," "Ian Fleming-A Life in Pictures," "Truth or Dare," and "Romeo and Juliet." Film credits include "Beautiful Thing," "Luna," "Doom" and "Madeleine."