It was years and years ago when I had read, of all places, at the bottom of a Wikipedia page that Christopher Nolan wrote a screen adaptation of Ruth Rendell‘s mystery novel, The Keys to the Street, which never managed to go past some medium-level development stages. Don’t ask me why it’s taken this long, but, only after those billion-dollar successes of The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises — not to mention the anticipation and speculation surrounding his in-production sci-fi picture, Interstellar — is this particular project, co-scripted by Michael Stokes, about to launch.
But at least it might be in good hands. According to Variety, The Keys to the Street has been readied for a January shoot, Julius Sevcík helming for stars Tim Roth, Gemma Arterton, and Max Irons (The Host, Red Riding Hood) while Apollo Productions and Pretty Pictures are to back. This picture, like its source material, will follow a woman by the name Mary Jargo (Arterton) who, aiming to get away from the rage of her ex-boyfriend, Alastair (Roth), takes a job in London’s high-faulting Regent’s Park. The area’s tranquility is, however, interrupted by the brutal murder (and subsequent public display) of local homeless residents, which compels Mary to find the killer on her own journey of self-discovery. With a romance thrown into the mix, we might have the first Nolan-associated project with any sexual content; that might explain why he never got around to directing the thing, actually.
In other news, TheWrap tell of a terrific addition to heist picture The Forger. Giving John Travolta and Tye Sheridan (our new favorite under-20 performer) some company is Christopher Plummer, the actor entering Philip Martin‘s project. Fulfilling obligations of onscreen seniority, he’ll play the father to Ray Cutter, a man hoping to break out of prison in order to be with his dying son — thus forcing the pair to execute one final score aimed at repaying those who facilitated a prison release.
Code Entertainment and The Solution Entertainment Group will finance and produce The Forger, the latter duty also taken up by Prospect Park. Shooting commences next month.
Variety, bringing news once more, have learned that Bill Paxton is next for Nightcrawler, directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy (brother / collaborator of Tony) that stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo. The involvement of this James Cameron favorite goes undisclosed, as has much of what we’re looking at; as only noted in April, it’s a title which follows “the nocturnal world of L.A. freelance crime journalism.” Financing comes from Bold Films, while Tony Gilroy and his frequent producing partner, Jennifer Fox, are throwing in support.
Finally, word from THR would have us believe War Horse star Jeremy Irvine will co-star with Michael Douglas in The Reach, a thriller directed by French helmer Jean-Baptiste Léonetti. As scripted by Stephen Susco (Texas Chainsaw 3D, Red), based on Robb White‘s Deathwatch, the title concerns two men whose desert hunting trip is catastrophically thrown off-course: first they get lost, then one of them murders somebody, and Douglas‘ hunter eventually “becomes a merciless torturer to the guide and puts him through painful mental and physical tests in the middle of the sweltering desert.” How they reach such a point is something yours truly wouldn’t mind seeing play out — and, in advance, I apologize to all involved for personal flashbacks to the Killing Season trailer.
The Reach will start rolling cameras by September’s end.
Does Nolan’s attachment increase your anticipation for Keys? How do the other projects and their casting strike you?