Justin Timberlake

Pop/R&B star Justin Timberlake will portray fictional Hooks player Carlton Garrett in the upcoming movie "The Open Road," reports Billboard. "The Open Road" is the story of a young man trying to reconnect with his father -- a legendary athlete played by Jeff Bridges -- as he struggles to get home to his ailing mother. Mary Steenburgen and Kate Mara are also in the film. Writer/director Michael Meredith, son of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith and a former University of Texas student, drew on his Texas ties for the concept, Hooks President J.J. Gottsch said. Shooting on the movie began Tuesday Feb. 19 in Hammond, La. Last year, Timberlake voiced a character in the Mike Myers opus "Shrek the Third." His screen credits also include "Alpha Dog" and "Black Snake Moan."