A formidable package is coming together to bring a seriously unbelievable true story to life on screen. Per Variety, Oscar Isaac is in talks to lead Paramount’s political thriller A Foreigner, which also has Me and Earl and the Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in talks to direct. If that wasn’t a promising enough package for you, Steven Zaillian is producing and Oscar-winning Argo and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice screenwriter Chris Terrio penned the screenplay.
Now, about that true story. The film is based on David Grann’s 2011 New Yorker article “A Murder Foretold”, which recounted the story of a Guatemalan man who, after investigating an assassination, dug deep into a web of corruption and organized violence that put himself in danger. He created a video that he subsequently disseminated to friends only to be viewed in the event of his own death, which soon followed when he was gunned down while riding his bike. If you have some time, the full article is well worth a read.
It’s very early in the deal-making process and neither Isaac nor Gomez-Rejon have signed any papers, but they reportedly both want to make the project. Gomez-Rejon recently walked away from what was to be his Me and Earl follow-up, Collateral Beauty starring Will Smith, just weeks before production was to begin, citing creative differences. A Foreigner is most certainly a fascinating story, and one that looks like it’ll be coming to the screen with talented folks behind it, so here’s hoping things work out with Isaac and Gomez-Rejon.
It’s unclear when production might begin. If Isaac is due back for Star Wars: Episode VIII, filming on that movie starts in earnest this month and gets into the nitty gritty next year. The actor most recently completed Hotel Rwanda director Terry George’s drama The Promise opposite Christian Bale.
