Woody ropes 'Dead' man

McShane joins cast of Allen pic

By MICHAEL FLEMING

McShane

Ian McShane, who plays brothel owner Al Swearengen in HBO's "Deadwood," will spend his hiatus back home in England, where he will join the ensemble cast Woody Allen is putting together for his next feature.

Thesp joins Scarlett Johannson, who will be making her second film with Allen after "Match Point." That pic premiered at Cannes and will be distributed by DreamWorks.

Allen, who has never let a financier read a script, shot "Match Point" in England as a requirement for the pic's financing. He liked the experience so much, he wrote his next film to fit the locale.

McShane, whose career was revived by a turn in "Sexy Beast" before he drew the "Deadwood" gig, will make the Allen pic and be back in time to film the third season of the HBO Western.