Danny Glover, Thandie Newton and Oliver Platt are in discussions to join Roland Emmerich’s epic disaster project 2012. An academic researcher (John Cusack) opens a portal into a parallel universe and makes contact with his double in order to prevent an apocalypse predicted by the ancient Mayans. December 21st 2012 is the last day of the Mayan calendar, believed to be the end of the world. Glover would play the president of the United States, Newton would be his daughter, and Platt would be his chief of staff.

THR also says that 2012 was being shopped around Hollywood with a $200 million budget, but Columbia claims it will be made for less than that. This either means the preproduction budget is like $180-190 million or the Sony-owened studio just doesn’t want to fess up to the real price tag. Bottom line is that the film is expensive. Emmerich is best known as the director of Independence Day, Stargate and Universal Soldier. But as of recent years the German director has produced lackluster efforts: Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow and 10,000 BC. Bad news is that Emmerich penned the screenplay with composer turned writer Harald Kloser, the same guy behind 10,000 BC.

2012 is scheduled to begin shooting in July 2009, and is penciled in for a July 10th 2009 release (however, the actors strike could delay everything).