Stoppard muse and perennial baddie Rufus Sewell has been cast as Bradley Cooper’s devilish henchman ‘Sammael’ in forthcoming epic Miltonian Biblical fantasy (there’s a mouthful) Paradise Lost.

In traditional angelology the Archangel Samael is often associated with death and temptation; however, he is not a fallen angel and resides in the Seventh Heaven with the other members of the highest angelic caste. This is a bit complicated for an action film with Bradley Cooper in, though, so Samael has been slightly renamed and substantially sexed up. Sammael 3D will be a six-winged troublemaker who, jealous of the favouritism which God supposedly shows to Man, corrupts humankind by tempting Eve (Camilla Belle) in the Garden of Eden and incites Lucifer (Cooper) to open rebellion against Heaven.

Sewell and director Alex Proyas have worked together before on 1998’s Dark City – we hope a reliable and familiar face will help steady Proyas as he masterminds a film which could very easily go horribly wrong…