Joaquin Phoenix poised for acting return?

Joaquin Phoenix could be poised for a return to acting.

The Oscar-nominated Walk The Line star, who announced in 2008 that he would retire from Hollywood to focus on a music career, has been holding talks to appear in various movie projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The 35-year-old was recently negotiating to star as poet Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven before the role eventually went to John Cusack.

He has also been in talks to play novelist Thomas Wolfe in the Sean Penn project Genius and turned down an offer to play a drug dealer in Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter.

In addition, Phoenix is said to be officially attached to Steven Shainberg's Big Shoe, which will see him play a man with a shoe fetish who also designs footwear.

Phoenix's acting retirement and subsequent attempt at a hip-hop career were documented by Casey Affleck in the the documentary I'm Still Here. The film is out in the US this weekend and bows in the UK next Friday.

> Click here to read our review of 'I'm Still Here'