Director James Hawes is staying busy, as he has just landed his next major project. Coming off the success of Apple TV's Slow Horses, Hawes is confirmed to helm feature film Amateur for 20th Century Studios, with Rami Malek attached to star. The project is still in the early development stages, with the latest screenplay draft written by Gary Spinelli. Malek executive produces, with Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson producing.
The film is set to follow a CIA cryptographer reeling in the aftermath of his wife's death due a terrorist attack in London. As such, he tries to demand that his bosses jump on the case, but conflicting internal priorities stop them from acting. So, the cryptographer instead decides to blackmail the agency into training him so that he can pursue the terrorists himself. There's been no solid confirmation yet, but with Malek leading, it's likely viewers can expect to see him as the cryptographer.
While Malek has starred in a variety of projects, he's perhaps best known for his role as Freddie Mercury in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. The biopic focused on the formation and rising success of rock band Queen and lead singer Mercury. The film was nominated for five Oscars and brought home four -- including a Best Actor win for Malek. Prior to this, Malek is well-known for leading USA's four-season series Mr. Robot as Elliot Alderson. In recent years, he played Bond villain Safin in No Time to Die, starred opposite Denzel Washington in crime drama The Little Things, and appeared in the star-studded cast of Amsterdam. Along with Amateur, his other upcoming projects include a Buster Keaton biopic and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
Hawes Has Worked on a Number of TV Series
While Hawes' prior experience lies largely in television, he boasts an impressive filmography -- despite some shows having unfortunately short-lived runs. Most recently, Hawes directed six episodes of Slow Horses, which is heading into its third season later this year and is renewed through Season 4. Led by Gary Oldman, the series follows a group of British intelligence agents assigned to the "Slough House," a dumping ground for members who have made career-ending mistakes who soon find an opening to redeem themselves. Hawes has also worked on shows such as HBO's Raised by Wolves, TNT's Snowpiercer, Netflix's Black Mirror, and several others. He also previously directed feature-length projects.
Amateur currently has no projected filming start date or release window.