Even with only two feature films under his belt, photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn has become a director with a distinct voice. His debut "Control" was a startling look at the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, while his followup "The American" placed George Clooney in a pretty nifty anti-thriller that favored mood over action. And so we couldn't be more excited about this next, the John Le Carré adaptation of "A Most Wanted Man." And with production now starting, a few more names an official synopsis have been revealed for the picture.
"Inglourious Basterds," "The Edukators," "Goodbye Lenin!" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" star Daniel Brühl (who was rumored over a month ago) has joined Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright and Willem Dafoe in the film, with Franz Hartwig, Kostja Ullman, Rainer Bock, Charlotte Schwab, Max Volkert Martens and Martin Wuttke rounding out the cast. It's a pretty great array of talent for what is promising to be an exciting tale of political intrigue. Here's the official synopsis:
When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, tortured half-to-death immigrant turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community, laying claim to his father’s ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man’s true identity – oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist?
Poignant, compassionate and thrilling, A MOST WANTED MAN prickles with tension right through to its last heart-stopping scene. It is a cerebral tale of intrigue that is both contemporary and deeply human, touching on love, rivalry, politics and the world we live in.
And while this all seems like a straightforward spy movie, as Corbijn has shown with his last two efforts, he manages to subvert expectations in exciting ways. So we'll keeping an eye out for this one in 2013, but until then, here's the full press release including all the below-the-line talent working on the picture.
Principal photography commenced yesterday in Hamburg on a major film adaptation of John le Carré’s worldwide bestselling 2008 novel A MOST WANTED MAN. Anton Corbijn (The American, Control) directs a cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, Capote), Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes, Midnight In Paris), Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire, Platoon) and Robin Wright (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball).
When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, tortured half-to-death immigrant turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community, laying claim to his father’s ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man’s true identity – oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist?
Poignant, compassionate and thrilling, A MOST WANTED MAN prickles with tension right through to its last heart-stopping scene. It is a cerebral tale of intrigue that is both contemporary and deeply human, touching on love, rivalry, politics and the world we live in.
Adapted for the screen by Australian writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana), the film is produced by Gail Egan (The Constant Gardener) and Andrea Calderwood (The Last King of Scotland) for Potboiler, Stephen Cornwell (screenwriter – Unknown) and Simon Cornwell for The Ink Factory, and Malte Grunert (Perfect Sense) for Amusement Park. Helge Sasse for Senator Film Produktion is Co-Producer and Senator Film Verleih will handle the German release. Executive Producers are John le Carré, Tessa Ross (Film4), Sam Englebardt and William D Johnson (Demarest).
Rounding out the cast are rising Russian star Grigory Dobrygin as the titular most wanted man, Turkish actress Derya Alabora, and the cream of German acting talent, including Nina Hoss, Daniel Brühl, Franz Hartwig, Kostja Ullman, Rainer Bock, Charlotte Schwab, Max Volkert Martens and Martin Wuttke.
Anton Corbijn is the director of two previous feature films: Ian Curtis biopic Control and European hit-man thriller The American, starring George Clooney. He is also a very well established photographer, stage-designer, art- and music-video director. As a photographer he has published over 15 books and had major museum shows. Best known for his long associations with Depeche Mode, U2 and Tom Waits, he has worked with people as diverse as Miles Davis, Gerhard Richter, Patti Smith, Kate Moss, Lucian Freud, Frank Sinatra, Damien Hirst and Captain Beefheart.
Master spy novelist John le Carré is the author of 23 books. He first came to know Hamburg during the Cold War years of the early 1960s, when he was posted there as Political Consul while working for the British government, and returned there more recently to research and write A Most Wanted Man. Eight of his novels have so far been adapted for film, including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Constant Gardener, The Russia House and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
The creative team behind A MOST WANTED MAN also includes Director of Photography Benoît Delhomme (Lawless), Production Designer Sebastian Krawinkel (Anonymous), Costume Designer Nicole Fischnaller (The Counterfeiters), Chief Hair and Makeup Designer Sharon Martin (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Editor Claire Simpson (The Constant Gardener).
FilmNation are handling international sales, and have already completed deals with Mars (France), Senator Film (Germany), Aurum Producciones – an Alliance Films Company (Spain), Momentum Pictures – an Alliance Films Company (UK), Forum (Eastern Europe), Benelux and Canada (both Entertainment One), Spentzos (Greece), Sam Films (Iceland), LEV (Israel), Italia Film (Middle East), Lusomundo (Portugal), Svensk (Scandinavia), Elite Film (Switzerland), Aqua Group (Turkey), Sun (Latin America), HGC (China), Tomson (Hong Kong), Multivision (India/Pakistan), PT Amero (Indonesia), Cathay (Singapore), Studio Solution (Taiwan), Roadshow (Australia) and Ster Kinekor (South Africa).
The film is supported by production funding from the FilmFörderung Hamburg Schleswig Holstein, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg and the DFFF.
