Willem Dafoe Boards Sci-Fi Thriller What Happened To Monday?

With production swinging into motion in Bucharest, Romania, Willem Dafoe has now joined Tommy Wirkola’s upcoming sci-fi dystopian thriller, What Happened to Monday?

Starring opposite Noomi Rapace and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Glenn Close, there’s no word yet on the specifics of Dafoe’s involvement, though we imagine it will be integral to the core story.

After simmering on Hollywood’s infamous Black List for some time, Max Botkin’s What Happened to Monday? screenplay is finally getting a shot at the big time. Taking place in the not-so-distant future, the concept imagines a world where overpopulation is rife, forcing the planet’s most powerful governments to follow the path blazed out by China all those years ago and implement a one-child policy.

It’s an eerily realistic vision of the future, though the story itself will primarily center around Noomi Rapace, playing seven identical sisters tracked down by the Child Allocation Bureau.

Produced by Raffaella Productions’ Raffaella De Laurentiis as well as Vendôme Pictures’ Philippe Rousselet. Here’s what the latter executive had to say about the project now that it’s beginning to take shape.

“We could not have dreamt of a better team with Tommy Wirkola directing and Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe starring to make this unique and thrilling movie.”

From Prometheus to the original Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, we’ve long seen the acting range of Noomi Rapace, and given that What Happened to Monday? will present her with an Orphan Black-like role, we’re cautiously optimistic for Wirkola’s latest project. Yes, both Dead Snow and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters may not have set the world on fire, but with a strikingly realistic premise and a star-studded cast to match, we daren’t take our eye off this one.

In tandem with Dafoe’s recruitment, Marwan Kenzari, Christian Rubeck and Pal Sverre Hagen have also joined What Happened to Monday?

Tell us, what do you make of Tommy Wirkola’s new project? Let us know in the comments.