Tag: Cold War

Posted on in Film News

Mads Mikkelsen and Armie Hammer To Star In Cold War Thriller ‘Billion Dollar Spy’ – Begins Shooting In Eastern Europe Next Year

Armie Hammer (Rebecca, Free Fire) and Mad Mikkelsen (Hannibal) are teaming-up for a new Cold War era thriller titled Billion Dollar Spy for director Amma Asante according to Variety. The script was penned by screenwriter Benjamin August based from a true life story written by American journalist David E. Hoffman.

Brad Reid (Hammer) is a fresh arrival at the Moscow station of the CIA when he’s approached by Soviet engineer Adolf Tolkachev (Mikkelsen). Ignoring the advice from his bosses that Tolkachev is an obvious KGB “dangle,” Reid develops a bond and unique friendship with the Russian. Reid’s faith in Tolkachev is rewarded when he hands over a treasure trove of military secrets, obtained using classic Cold War spy craft. It earns Tolkachev the nickname “The Billion Dollar Spy,” and alters the balance of power between East and West.

Hammer previously played a KGB Agent in the Guy Ritchie action comedy The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and was recently seen in the Netflix remake of Rebecca.

Filming is said to begin in 2021 and take place in Eastern Europe.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Film News

Jon S. Baird Confirmed To Direct ‘Tetris’ Drama For Marv Films – Working Title Is ‘Falling Blocks’

There had been mystery surrounding what Marv Films project director Jon S. Baird (Filth, Stan & Ollie) had been attached to direct after trade reports linked to an unknown project. In July it was reported by the Daily Mail that Jon would be directing a live-action Tetris movie with British actor Taron Egerton (Kingsman 1-2, Eddie The Eagle, Rocketman) set to play video game entrepreneur Henk Rogers.  

The Ronin can now confirm the Daily Mail’s reporting that Baird is indeed attached to direct with Matthew Vaughn producing and add that film and could begin shooting this fall/winter in the United Kingdom under the working title of Falling Blocks. 

This version seems to be heading more in the period drama direction as it’ll take place in the 1980s during The Cold War. 

Russian video game developer Alexey Pajitnov created the hit Tetris, which was popularized by the Nintendo Gameboy but was embroiled in a legal battle to secure the intellectual rights. 

Taron had been previously in talks to take the leading role of Seymour in the remake of genre musical Little Shop of Horrors for Warner Bros. and director Greg Berlanti. I’m not sure what this means for Taron’s involvement with Little Shop of Horrors, which had landed tax incentives to shoot in the state of California. 

Tetris aka Falling Blocks could end up landing a release date sometime in 2021.