Pitt, Cruise, Hanks want Yimou film role?

Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks all want to be cast in Chinese director Zhang Yimou's Thirteen Women of Nanjing, say reports.

According to Cinematical, only an A-list actor will lead the cast in some capacity and producer Zhang Weiping has named the three men as interested possibilities.

One of the men could appear as a pastor in the film, which takes place in a Nanjing church during the Japanese invasion of 1937. The 13 women are said to be prostitutes who seek shelter in the holy establishment.

Weiping added that she is on the hunt for unknown actresses with "good foreign language skills" so that they can play opposite a big Hollywood star.