Shohreh Aghdashloo has signed on to play Elizabeth, the older cousin of the virgin Mary and future mother of John the Baptist in New Line's Nativity.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown), the movie focuses on Mary and Joseph's lives before the birth of Jesus, chronicling their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Written by Mike Rich, the script has a feminist slant.

Shooting begins in May in Italy and Morocco.

Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) can next be seen in X-Men: The Last Stand.