After a successful first few years, including a recent high profile deal with Disney to produce an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling, Newberry Medal-winning fantasy novel The Graveyard Book, New York-based production company Wayfare Entertainment just announced their plans for Villain. The production company has hired David Slade to direct the psychological thriller set in the in the unforgiving wilderness of the far north.
Written by newcomer Josh Zetumer (who also penned the upcoming RoboCop reboot), Villain is about two brothers forced to confront their dark past as they navigate the treacherous landscape and freezing weather of the harsh Alaskan setting. Wayfare also announced that the search for the two brothers is well underway with the film busy casting the lead roles. The plot synopsis is brief but hints at a story heavily focused on the two men, and therefore casting is obviously paramount. I couldn't help but think of Kit Harrington since his 'Jon Snow' already spends so much time in the north on HBO's Game of Thrones, but Wayfare Entertainment CEO Ben Browning added "we are confident that we will draw top-tier talent to the project in the coming weeks." I wonder who from the 'top-tier' they have in mind?
The project also reminds me of Joe Carnahan's The Grey, a wonderful January release, with its focus on the northern wilderness as well as characters haunted by a 'dark past.' David Slade is no stranger to Alaska, having directed the graphic novel adaptation of 30 Days of Night, a decent horror flick about vampires attacking a small town during its titular winter stretch of darkness. And even though his take on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was, well, terrible, I don't hold it against him, and look to his first feature film, the fantastic Hard Candy, as evidence of the director's potential. He's also on board to direct Bryan Fuller's Hannibal pilot for NBC, a project that I am anxiously anticipating.
Who would you like to see as brothers battling it out in the north?
