Washington (US), February 15: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is set to join Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Blood on Snow, an indie adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s crime thriller, directed by Cary Fukunaga, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Eva Green, Emma Laird, and Ben Mendelsohn are also part of the cast.
Cumberbatch steps in to replace Tom Hardy, who was originally slated to appear and produce the film but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts. Production for the feature will begin at the end of this month and will take place in Latvia.
In the film, Taylor-Johnson plays Olav, a hitman hired by his mob boss to assassinate the boss’s unfaithful wife. However, Olav falls in love with her and refuses to go through with the murder, which sets off a chain of tragic events, leading to a violent mob war.
Cumberbatch will portray a rival mob boss named the Fisherman, though further details about his character are scarce. The script for Blood on Snow was written by Nesbo and Ben Powers.
The film is produced by Mike Larocca and Michael Schaefer of Department M, who are fully financing the project. In addition to Larocca and Schaefer, producers include Fukunaga, Nesbo, Tracey Seaward, Niclas Salomonsson, and Dean Baker.
Cumberbatch’s recent work includes starring in the Netflix miniseries Eric and joining the ensemble cast of Guy Ritchie’s latest project, Wife and Dog. Eva Green recently starred in the action movie Dirty Angels and appeared in a two-part French adaptation of The Three Musketeers.