TERRENCE HOWARD news
Topher Grace joins Howard in "The Crusaders".



Terrence Howard and Topher Grace are in talks to co-star in "The Crusaders", New Line's drama about the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, with Bob Cooper and Participant prexy Ricky Strauss producing. Participant Prods. will co-finance the film.

Story recounts the 1954 Supreme Court case in which Greenberg, a recent law school grad, and Thurgood Marshall, as head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, teamed to help end segregation in schools. Marshall eventually became the first African-American Supreme Court justice.
New Line's tapped "The West Wing" exec producer Alex Graves to helm the pic. Graves, who's also directed three dozen "West Wing" episodes, is replacing Brad Silberling.

New Line has brought on John Romano to script. Previous version was penned by "West Wing" scribes Paul Redford and Lawrence O'Donnell based on Jack Greenberg's memoir "Crusaders in the Courts."

Graves' small-screen credits include the pilot for ABC's "The Nine," "Leap of Faith," "Sports Night," "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Public."

Participant, founded by eBay entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, focuses on developing socially relevant projects. Credits include "Syriana," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "An Inconvenient Truth" and the upcoming "Fast Food Nation."

Cooper's a producer on Fox's upcoming "John Tucker Must Die." Howard and Grace are both in New York City shooting their upcoming films. Howard is currently in 'The Brave One" in New York City with Jodie Foster while Grace is featured in the next installent of the Spider-Man with Tobey Maguire.