We’re at the point now that if Jake Gyllenhaal is attached to a project, we’re going to pay attention. After creating de facto masterclasses on acting in films like “Prisoners,” “Nightcrawler,” and recently in this year’s “Wildlife” and “The Sisters Brothers,” the Oscar-nominated actor has earned the benefit of the doubt with any project he tackles. And for his brand-new acting role, Gyllenhaal is tackling some tried and true source material, which means audiences are almost guaranteed something special.
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Variety is reporting that Gyllenhaal has signed on to produce and star in an English-language remake of the recent Danish film “The Guilty.” The film follows a demoted police officer, given desk duty in light of a current internal investigation, who receives a phone call from a panicked woman that is being held captive.
“The Guilty” premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was critically lauded and earned the world cinema audience award. The Danish thriller was also recently chosen as the official Oscar selection from Denmark. So, it’s clear that the film that Gyllenhaal will help bring to American audiences is going to have some big shoes to fill. Co-writer/director Gustav Möller and producer Lina Flint, of the original film, will be part of this new version, serving as executive producers.
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“We saw ‘The Guilty’ at Sundance and were blown away. Möller’s film masterfully weaves tension into an acute character study, and is exactly the kind of material that Nine Stories is excited to develop. We are honored to be able to adapt it for American audiences alongside Bold Films,” Gyllenhaal and co-producer Riva Marker said.
“We are thrilled to acquire this great IP for Jake,” Bold Films chairman Michel Litvak said. “It’s a terrific vehicle for him to craft a super taut, elevated thriller.”
No word yet on when the English-language remake of “The Guilty” will hit theaters, but 2019 is already shaping up to be a busy time for Gyllenhaal. He’s gearing up for a major Sundance debut of his highly-anticipated “Velvet Buzzsaw,” which sees the actor teaming up with writer-director Dan Gilroy after the success of “Nightcrawler.” And if that wasn’t enough, Gyllenhaal will appear as the villain Mysterio in the upcoming Marvel Studios sequel, “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”