Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem To Star In Thriller Directed By Asghar Farhadi

This month, “The Past” and “A Separation” director Asghar Farhadi returned to the Cannes Film Festival with “The Salesman.” And while it didn’t receive the same level of raves as his previous efforts, the filmmaker still walked away with a Best Screenplay prize, with Shahab Hosseini taking home Best Actor. All this to say, Farhadi’s heat on the arthouse circuit hasn’t dropped, and the temperature is only going to get hotter.

READ MORE: Exclusive: U.S. Trailer And Poster For Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Fireworks Wednesday’

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are in advanced talks to star in an untitled psychological thriller that will likely be the director’s next film. Exact plot details are being kept secret (Farhadi is still finishing the script), but the story will be set in rural Spain around a family of winemakers. Things are moving along, with location scouting getting underway soon, and filming aiming to start next summer or fall. Even more, an American actor will be joining the cast as well, making this Farhadi’s starriest project to date.

“It’s a psychological thriller with a dash of Agatha Christie in it. The script is a real page-turner,” is how producer Alexandre Mallet-Guy described the film to Variety. Count us in.

It’s the second project that husband and wife, Bardem and Cruz, have signed up to star in together in recent weeks — they’re also lined up for “Escobar.” Seems the pair are joining forces to make some exciting stuff happen, and we can’t wait to see how this turns out.