Murder mysteries are back in style, after the success of star-studded adaptations like “Murder on the Orient Express,” and original whodunnits like “Knives Out.” The latest film to join the club is the as-of-now untitled murder mystery by Searchlight Pictures which will star Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, and David Oyelowo.
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Deadline has the scoop on the latest murder mystery thriller at Searchlight. The film does not have a title just yet, but it will be directed by “This Country” director Tom George from a script by Mark Chappell. Damian Jones will produce the film.
The story will be set in London during the 1950s, “where a desperate Hollywood film producer sets out to turn a popular West End play into a film. When members of the production are murdered, world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) and overzealous rookie Constable Stalker (Ronan) find themselves in the midst of a puzzling whodunit within London’s glamorous Theatreland and sordid underground.”
The film will serve as Tom George’s feature directorial debut, after directing the BBC series “This Country,” and the comedy “Defending the Guilty.” Meanwhile, Mark Chappell’s previous work includes “The Young Doctor’s Notebook,” and the Will Arnett-starrer Netflix show “Flaked.” The most exciting part about this murder mystery is clearly the cast, and seeing Ronan as a young rookie playing off Rockwell’s world-weary inspector sounds like an absolute joy. Though we don’t know who Oyelowo is playing yet, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up playing the desperate film producer, per Deadline‘s report.
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Who knows, maybe this will turn out like “Knives Out,” surprising audiences and captivating them with a phenomenal cast and a smart script. Like Rian Johnson‘s film, this sounds like it was heavily inspired by the 1973 whodunnit “The Last of Sheila,” which also followed some Hollywood types playing a game while on a boat until they start dying out mysteriously.