Jessica Chastain is in negotiations to star alongside Ralph Fiennes and Caleb Landry Jones in “The Forgiven,” an adaptation of the novel by Lawrence Osborne, Variety has learned.
John Michael McDonagh will be directing the film, which deals with the impact of a tragic accident on the lives of an English couple attending a lavish weekend party at a luxurious desert villa in Morocco. Saïd Taghmaoui and Mark Strong complete the cast.
Chastain is in talks to star in the film as Fiennes’ wife, sources say. The two previously starred together in “Coriolanus” in 2011.
Production is slated to begin early next year in Morocco. Elizabeth Eves will produce alongside McDonagh through their production company, House of Un-American Activities. CAA, which arranged financing, is representing the U.S. rights, while IMR International is handling foreign rights. Karim Debbagh’s Tangier-based Kasbah Films has been tapped as line producer on “The Forgiven.”
Chastain is rolling off a busy year. She starred in “It: Chapter Two,” which has grossed nearly $500 million worldwide, and recently produced Simon Kinberg’s spy thriller “355” and Tate Taylor’s film “Eve” (both of which she also starred in) with Kelly Carmichael through their banner, Freckle Films. Chastain also joined the cast of “Losing Clementine” by award-winning Argentine filmmaker Lucia Puenzo last month.
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Chastain is represented by CAA, Paul Nelson of Mosaic, and attorneys Steve Warren and Barry Littman of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman et al.
