It's confirmed that Daniel Brühl and Macaulay Culkin will join the cast of director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's timely social thriller, Rich Flu, about a killer virus that has expensive taste when seeking its host. The two new additions will star alongside Rosamund Pike, exploring the lengths people will go to save themselves when the tables turn.
Coming off the success of his role as the shady Baron Zemo, first introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and playing a significant role in the Disney+ miniseries, The Falcon and Winter Soldier, directed by Kari Skolgland, Brühl is also announced to be starring in Stefano Mordini's racing film, 2 Win. Other notable roles for Brühl are the antagonist, Frederick Zoller, in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Niki Lauda in Ron Howard's Rush, and his starring role in the television series, The Alienist, with Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans.
Anyone alive in the 1990s will recognize Culkin from his Home Alone fame. Fans were excited to see Culkin's most recent return to the screen in Ryan Murphy's twisted FX anthology, American Horror Story. He's also a part of HBO's all-star cast for the comedy-drama, The Righteous Gemstones, with John Goodman, Danny McBride, and Adam Devine.
Gaztelu-Urrutia made his directorial debut with The Platform, one of Netflix's most-watched original films when it hit the streamer in 2020. For the aptly titled Rich Flu, Gaztelu-Urrutia serves as writer, director, and producer. In the film, an odd new virus is ripping through the world's billionaires, multi-millionaires, and anyone with fortune — the rich. The virus is lethal, and the film will explore just how far people are willing to go in order to save themselves. The wealthy are panicking and flooding the market in an attempt to save themselves from the virus. Though not much else is known about the plot, Gaztelu-Urrutia tackles hot topics in the wake of a pandemic in the exploration of human self-indulgence. Oscar-nominated actress Pike, who will be starring in the film, is no stranger to intensity and will surely bring complexity to this project.
The screenplay for Rich Flu was written by Gaztelu-Urrutia, Pedro Rivero, and David Desola. The film was available for purchase at this year's Cannes Film Market from Sierra/Affinity, and was produced by Juan de Dios Larraín and Pedro Larraín under Fabula; Nostromo Pictures with Núria Valls and Adrián Guerra; Carlos Juárez and Albert Soler.
Rich Flu is set to begin filming this fall, and as of right now there is no release date available.