Is it just me, or does it feel like Morris Chestnut has been on the quiet side lately? I know he was last in Think Like A Man, but his role wasn't a significant one (he wasn't in the starring cast, in the kind of film that he'd usually be on the short list of black actors being considered to star in).

He's also done some TV – American Horror Story, most recently.

Wasn't there a time when he was considered leading man material, with potential to grow even further, as far as black actors are concerned? Is he still on your short list? An opportunity missed by Hollywood?

But maybe today's news will help put him back on that track, as it's been announced that Chestnut has been cast as the male lead, opposite Halle Berry, in Sony’s thriller The Hive.

Brad Anderson is directing the film, which co-stars Abigail Breslin. Principal photography has already begun.

What's The Hive about again?

Set against the backdrop of a 911 call center, this fast-paced suspense pic will find Berry playing a 911 emergency operator who takes a call from a teenage girl (Breslin) who has been abducted and carried away in the trunk of a car. Berry's character must face her own fears in order to save the teenage girl from a disturbed killer. The kidnapping plays out in real time as the pair work together to track down the killer. 

Morris Chestnut will play Halle Berry's love interest in the film, who's also a cop. Good look Morris… good look.

BUT that's not it!

Mr Chestnut has also joined that cast of Kick-Ass 2, playing the guardian for the character played by Chloe Moretz. The role is said to be a significant one. How significant? We'll wait to find out.

Up next for Chestnut, look for him in the comedy ID Theft, which stars Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.