Wu-Tang Clan principal -turned-actor Method Man has signed on to join the ensemble cast of the New Line Cinema thriller "The Other Side of Simple," according to the Hollywood Reporter. Method Man will play the leader of a local gang in "Simple," which follows two thieves (Vince Vaughn and Don Cheadle) who return to their Midwestern hometown after a long absence. The cast also includes Hayden Christensen and Shannyn Sossamon.

Method Man last appeared in the stoner comedy "How High" with partner Redman; the pair will reteam for the New Line comedy "Ghetto Inc." Method Man is also due to co-star in Miramax's "My Baby's Mama" with Eddie Griffin, Michael Imperioli, Bai Ling, and Amy Sedaris.

On the music front, the rapper is at work on his next Def Jam solo album, which will be the follow-up to 1998's "Tical 2000: Judgement Day." He and Redman, along with fellow Def Jam artists DMX, Ludacris, and Scarface, will soon be brought to virtual life in "Def Jam Vendetta," a video game for PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

The partnership is the latest effort by game maker Electronic Arts to blend original music and artists with its best-selling video games, and it's the first major deal to bring prominent musicians into the video game world. The 3-D arcade-style fighting game, which will ship under the EA Sports brand, features 45 characters, 1,500 unique fighting moves and 10 hip-hop venues.