Jazz

Viggo Mortensen ("The Lord of the Rings") is reteaming with director David Cronenberg for Eastern Promises at Focus Features and BBC Films, reports Variety.

The project, written by Steve Knight (Dirty Pretty Things), is a London thriller that centers on a nurse investigating the identity of a Russian girl who dies in childbirth. The nurse stumbles into danger when she learns the woman was a prostitute involved in sex trafficking.

Mortensen plays a man caught up in the Russian mob.

Mortensen recently completed work in Alatriste opposite Elena Anaya. He last starred in Cronenberg's A History of Violence.

I'm so excited! He's teaming up with Cronenberg again! More butt scenes maybe???

HappySquared

This news is great! And it's a thriller! I love movies that will let audience think. Sex trafficking? Errr.. so I want Viggo to be the prostitute.

Thanks, Jazz

Jazz

Well, he's doing mob scenes now...

I'm glad he's working with Cronenberg again. I so want Viggo to win an Oscar!

S.A.S.H.A.

Sasha

HappySquared

Hell! David and Viggo are a great team! I want him to have an Oscar, too. He deserved it on like most of the movies he'd made.

Jazz

More articles!

Canadian David Cronenberg (Fly, A History of Violence) is attached to direct Eastern Promises, a London thriller written by Steve Knight (Dirty Pretty Things), for Focus Features and BBC Films.

Eastern Promises focuses on a young midwife drawn into investigating the identity of a mysterious Russian girl who dies in childbirth on Christmas Eve.

The nurse stumbles into danger when she discovers that the dead woman was a prostitute ensnared by a sex-trafficking gang.

The film will be produced by Paul Webster of Kudos Films, who most recently made Pride & Prejudice for Working Title, released in the U.S. by Focus.

Focus is set to take worldwide rights on Promises, excluding U.K. TV, which is held by the BBC. The BBC originally developed the screenplay with Knight.

Cronenberg and Knight have just started working together on the script with an aim to start shooting this fall.

Cronenberg is also attached to direct the Bruce Wagner-scripted Maps to the Stars for Serendipity Pictures and its unsure which film will shoot first.


Source: Variety

Jazz

After receiving acclaim for A History Of Violence, Cronenberg has turned into a real workaholic. He recently signed on to direct the Bruce Wagner-scripted movie Map Of The Stars, and already he is lined up for another project.

According to Variety, Cronenberg will helm Eastern Promises for Focus Features and BBC Films. We don't know which film he'll work on first, but it will likely be whichever one is quickest to start production. The race is on!

Eastern Promises, a London thriller written by Steve Knight, is about a young midwife investigating the identity of a mysterious Russian girl who dies in childbirth on Christmas Eve. She lands into dangerous terrain when she realizes the dead woman was actually a hooker ensnared by a sex-trafficking gang.

The film will be shot on a $15 - $20 million budget, and will be Cronenberg’s second British movie after 2002’s Spider.

Jazz

Viggo Mortensen has agreed to star in the new British thriller, Eastern Promises for Focus Features.

He'll be working once again with his A History of Violence director David Cronenberg. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story is about a Russian prostitute who dies during childbirth; a nurse is dragged into an underworld involving the Russian mob. Mortensen will play a mysterious man with ties to the mob.

The film is written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things); production for Eastern Promises is tentatively set to begin this fall, though Cronenberg is also attached to direct Maps to the Stars. A 2008 release date has been attached.

and

It seems Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg made a bit of a friendship in spite of the violent nature of A History of Violence as the two have decided to team once again, this time for Focus Features and BBC Films in Eastern Promises.
The pic was penned by Steve Knight and is set in London. The thriller centers on a nurse investigating the identity of a Russian girl who dies in childbirth. The nurse stumbles into danger when she learns the woman was a prostitute involved in sex trafficking. Mortensen plays a man caught up in the Russian mob.

ROCKSTAR

The words "Viggo", "new" and "movie" in the same sentence makes me giddy. CAN'T WAIT!

ryllsome

ohh!!! thanks goodness...he's back! i miss him so much. can't wait.

Jazz

Yes, he's back in the game!!!

Actually, I noticed that on Perceval Press, he has a Montreal Canadians symbol on there. He must have been cheering for them in the playoffs, too bad they were eliminated a few days ago.

ryllsome

i love it when Viggo is such a fan.

Crystaline

Go Viggo!

Phee

Does this mean we'll get to hear him speak some Russian? Here's hoping, coz Viggo rocks the foreign tongues.

Veronakat

Thanks for the news Jazz.