‘The Spirit’ calls on Mendes, Johansson

Now that’s “The Spirit.”

An all-star lineup of femmes fatales and tough guys have been summoned to headline Frank Miller’s “The Spirit.”

Eva Mendes has joined Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Gabriel Macht for the graphic-novel impresario’s directorial debut.

Originally a 1940s comic strip, the story centers on a man who fakes his own death so he can fight crime as “The Spirit,” a masked vigilante in a crime-ridden Gotham known as Central City. Miller has promised to turn his film adaptation for Lions Gate into a contemporary tale with a “timeless feel.”

Mendes has been cast in the role of Sand Saref, “a beauty with dangerous curves,” according to Reuters. Johansson has agreed to play Silken Floss, a temptress and accomplice to the villain the Octopus. (Miller tapped Jackson to play Octopus earlier this year.)

The film’s title role went to up-and-comer Macht after an audition for Miller. Macht may be best known for small supporting turns in “The Good Shepherd” and “Behind Enemy Lines.”

“The Spirit” is expected to begin shooting in October in New Mexico with theatrical release set for 2009.