With news of a big screen "Entourage" movie and that "Annie" remake, it might be easy to get cynical and disheartened about Hollywood. But as a recent movie has taught us, there's always a shot at a silver lining, and today it comes in the form of Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace. The pair have already signed up to star in the Dennis Lehane adaptation "Animal Rescue," and at the time they were also considering the Cold War era flick "Child 44." Well it looks like the allure of working together and the material were too good to resist, because what the hell, they're going to do that movie too.
THR reports that the pair in negotiations to star in the movie that will be produced by Ridley Scott (who once eyed it as his own directorial vehicle), and directed by "Safe House" helmer Daniel Espinosa. Based on the book by Tom Rob Smith and adapted by the excellent Richard Price ("The Wire," "Clockers"), the Cold War-era tale follows a disgraced MGB agent (Hardy) in the Stalin-era Soviet Union investigating a prolific child murderer who may have connections going to the very top of the party leadership. Rapace will play the wife of the agent with secrets of her own. The story is based on the true account of the Rostov Ripper, a Ukranian serial killer who was executed for committing over 50 murders. And that's not all — the book is the first in a trilogy, so you can fill in the rest of what that means yourself.
"Animal Rescue" will shoot first starting in March, and if all goes to plan, "Child 44" will start lensing in May in Budapest. A double dose of Hardy/Rapace movies? Hell yeah.