Sumith Prasad
Colin Farrell has reportedly joined the cast of ‘Belly of the Beast.’ The feature film is directed by ‘All of Us Strangers’ fame Andrew Haigh. The filming of the movie will start in New York on an undisclosed date.
The biographical drama revolves around renowned writer Norman Mailer’s relationship with convict Jack Henry Abbott (Farrell) and the shocking events that unfold after the latter’s release from prison in 1981. When Jack arrives in New York, Mailer is overwhelmed by the sadness and squalor of the former’s life but fails to follow through on his promises to help. Mailer also gets angry and embarrassed when Jack humiliates him by not playing the part of the genius writer in the way the author would like.
Farrell is currently concluding the production of ‘The Batman’ spin-off series ‘The Penguin.’ The eight-episode crime drama is scheduled to be released on Max later this year. He recently completed the shooting of Apple TV+’s science-fiction drama ‘Sugar,’ which is a “genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles.” Todd Solondz’s comedy-drama film ‘Love Child,’ also starring Rachel Weisz, is another upcoming project of the actor.
Farrell’s recent credits include Pádraic Súilleabháin in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ a role which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, John Volanthen in Ron Howard’s ‘Thirteen Lives,’ and Oz/The Penguin in Robert Pattinson-starrer ‘The Batman.’
Haigh is directing the project based on a screenplay he wrote with Alexis C. Jolly. The filmmaker previously collaborated with Farrell for BBC’s miniseries ‘The North Water,’ which premiered in 2021. Haigh’s ‘All of Us Strangers,’ starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, was released in theatres in December 2023. In addition to the biographical drama, the director is also working on the adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s debut novella ‘McGlue.’ The literary work is a murder mystery that revolves around a drunken sailor who is accused of killing his friend.
Over the years, Haigh has made several acclaimed projects, including the gay drama ‘Weekend,’ Academy Award-nominated ‘45 Years,’ HBO’s romantic series ‘Looking,’ and the sports drama ‘Lean on Pete.’ The movie will mark the feature film debut of screenwriter Alexis, who previously wrote the short film ‘Table for One’ and served as a creative consultant for ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show.’
Furthermore, it is rumored that Ben Stiller is in talks to play Mailer in the biographical drama. The actor is currently engaged in the shooting of ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ director David Gordon Green’s comedy-drama film ‘Nutcrackers.’
Village Roadshow Pictures has teamed up with Farrell’s Chapel Place Productions for ‘Belly of the Beast.’ New York, the principal location, remains one of the most significant entertainment production destinations in the country. The state previously hosted several of last year’s major releases, ranging from Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ to Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
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