2011 was a pretty damn good year for Michael Fassbender. He showed he could be a commanding presence amongst the spectacle of a blockbuster in "X-Men: First Class," and then wowed arthouse crowds with this powerful performance as a man crippled by sex addiction in Oscar-snubbed "Shame" (a shame, indeed). So right now, he’s in a pretty good spot and likely has his pick of projects. Of course, he plans to reteam with Steve McQueen for "Twelve Years A Slave" this summer and is circling the lead in Ridley Scott‘s Cormac McCarthy-penned "The Counselor" (should that actually come together and be a real thing). And now you can call him, without hyperbole, an Irish myth.
The actor will star in the film "Irish Myths" (a bland working title, which we presume will change down the line), a project he’s been developing that has Ronan Bennett ("Public Enemies") penning the script. Fassbender will play Cuchulain, the hero of the Ulster Myth Cycle, which is too massive to recap here. But a quick skim of Wikipedia reveals that Cuchulain is an Achilles-esque hero who is known for spazzing out in battle to the point of turning into an unrecognizable monster, and he fights from a chariot. It was prophesied that he would be famous, but also lead a short life.
This one is still in early stages, and developing thanks to some funds to keep it moving along. It’s a very specific, narrow interest for a film, so we’d imagine financing might be tricky. But as long as Fassbender’s star continues to rise the way it should, this pet project will find itself in front of cameras soon enough. [Screen Daily]
