Melissa Leo, Anthony Mackie join Bryan Cranston in HBO's 'All the Way'

Bryan Cranston soon begins his second term as Lyndon B. Johnson with production looming closer on HBO's All The Way, an adaptation of Robert Schenkkan's Tony-winning play of the same name, but beside him will be a new First Lady. Melissa Leo takes over for Betsy Aidem to play Claudia Alta Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson in Jay Roach's forthcoming TV movie.

Deadline gathered word on the casting change. In addition to Cranston, Leo stars alongside Anthony Mackie, the publication also reported on Tuesday. He's slated to play Martin Luther King Jr. in the biopic.

Under a teleplay by Schenkkan, also an executive producer on this new film with Steven Spielberg, Cranston, Roach, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, All the Way tells the 36th president's story months after JFK's assassination, following how he attempts to keep his dismayed nation together. Roach is no stranger to HBO, as he also called the shots on other political-based projects for the station, like Recount, Game Change and, most recently, the pilot for The Brink. He also recently worked with Cranston on his latest theatrical film, Trumbo, to be released on November 6.

According to The Movie Network, filming on All the Way begins in September, just as Mackie finishes up work on the set of Captain America: Civil War. That bad boy doesn't come out until May 6, 2016, but he can be seen as the Falcon before that in Ant-Man later this month. Hopefully that's not a spoiler. He also appears in Our Brand is Crisis, X-Mas and Love the Coopers later this year, as well as Triple 9 in the next.

Leo, meanwhile, currently stars in Wayward Pines on the small screen, and can soon be spotted in Snowden later this year, followed by London Has Fallen and The Big Short in the following.

Image courtesy of Walter McBride/INFphoto.com

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