Robin Williams get on a lot of people’s nerves, and I can understand why. His frantic style of comedy isn’t everyone cup of tea, and, to be perfectly honest, I’m not a big fan of it, either. However, when it comes to tackling dramatic roles in a believable fashion, Williams ranks among the best of them. In my humble opinion, anyway. His turns in “The Final Cut”, “One Hour Photo”, and the incredibly dark comedy “World’s Greatest Dad” are nothing short of exceptional. For someone like me, his next project doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

For next excursion into serious cinema, Williams will portray President Dwight D. Eisenhower in “Precious” director Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”. The film currently sports an insanely impressive cast, including Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr, David Oyelowo, Lenny Kravitz, Terrence Howard, Alex Pettyfer, and Minka Kelly. That’s a hell of a lot of star power right there, folks. Also, it’s good to see Cuba Gooding Jr. doing something that isn’t going straight to home video.

“The Butler”, which follows the allegedly true adventures of Eugene Allen during his 34 years at the White House, is based on Wil Haygood’s report “A Butler Well Served by This Election”. Haygood will also serve as associate producer and researcher on the project. And if IMDb Pro is to be believed, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and Mariah Carey are also rumored to be attached to the production, as well.

Look for “The Butler” to arrive in theaters sometime next year.