Start spreading the news, John Goodman is packing his bags and is on the verge of heading to the Coldest City, Focus Features’ upcoming war-time thriller to be directed by John Wick‘s David Leitch.
Deadline has the scoop, with the outlet reporting that the Trumbo scene-stealer has opened negotiations to join the project, which would see him star opposite James McAvoy and Mad Max: Fury Road‘s Charlize Theron. According to Deadline, Goodman is in line to play an American agent, one who assists both McAvoy and Theron’s agents as they attempt to leverage a masterplan from opposite sides of the Berlin wall.
Set during the twilight years of the city-dividing monument (i.e. 1989), Coldest City is a spy thriller in every sense, with Theron and McAvoy setting aside personal differences in order to foil a potentially destructive ploy that would expose the real-life identities of all spies working on either side of the divide. Facing a race against time, it’s up to the newfound trio to prevent the blacklist from leaking out and brining ruination to all of the clandestine work that they’ve built over the years.
Spearheading the thriller on both sides of the camera, Charlize Theron will also produce the project alongside Leitch, with extra producing duties being divided between Beth Kono, A.J. Dix, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin and Kelly McCormick. Financing is to be handled by Sierra/Affinity’s Nick Meyer, with an allotted budget of $30 million, reportedly. Production is poised to set up shop in both Berlin and Budapest in the coming months.
Outside of Coldest City, Goodman can next be seen in festive comedy Love the Coopers, while McAvoy is locked for M. Night Shyamalan’s all-new thriller Split and Theron will reprise her role as Queen Ravenna for fantasy offshoot The Huntsman.
