Mad Men star Jared Harris is poised to venture further back in time than 1960s New York. Variety reports the actor – who also appeared in Fringe and Lincoln – has inked a deal to star in Robert Zemeckis’ yet-to-be-titled espionage thriller.
It’s a deal that marks a reunion with his Curious Case of Benjamin Button co-star Brad Pitt, with Marion Cotillard rounding out the remainder of the core cast. Working from a script penned by Stephen Knight, Zemeckis’ next feature takes place in 1942 North Africa where, in the throes of World War II, a spy falls madly in love with a French sleeper agent – Cotillard, we assume – before later finding out that she harbors a dark secret: she’s a nazi.
News of Harris boarding the project arrives just in time, too, with production set to commence in Europe early next week. First hatched by Graham King, it’s understood that Zemeckis’ war-time period drama will be produced by Steve Starkey, while Knight, Jack Rapke, Patrick McCormick and Denis O’Sullivan will leverage executive producing duties.
Fresh off the relatively successful The Walk, Zemeckis’ decision to enter the spy genre marks a considerable change of pace, though he’s added an actor who is no stranger to espionage thrillers, given that Harris recently starred opposite Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in The Man From U.N.C.L.E..
Jared Harris can currently be seen in Syfy’s critically acclaimed genre piece The Expanse. Robert Zemeckis’ yet-to-be-titled espionage thriller has placed the crosshairs on a November 23 release.
