Frieda Pinto has been offered a role in the period based oil drama “Black Thrist” that will be helmed by famed French director Jean-Jacques Annaud with Tahar Rahim, Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas also in discussions to join the cast.
Baz Bamigboye reports that the film will use Hans R. Ruesch’s 1957 novel South Of The Heart: A Novel Of Modern Arabia as a launching pad for the film which producer Tarak Ben Ammar (“Femme Fatale,” “Hannibal Rising”) describes as following “the story of an Arab prince in 1929. He’s well-educated and he’s married to a beautiful princess. He’s confronted with the problem of what the discovery of oil will bring to the Bedouins. The Americans want the oil, but what will be the real cost?” Promising to touch upon romance, oil, politics and tradition, it’s potentially some meaty fare.
Pinto is being offered the role of an Arabian princess described as “a new woman in the modern world, contemplating how women in her society will be treated”; it’s unknown what roles the other cast members are in discussion for at this time.
It certainly sounds like intriguing material but to be honest, Jean Jacques Annaud has been MIA since 2004’s “Two Brothers” (yes, he did make “His Majesty Minor” in 2007 but that film seems to have been buried). That said, Ammar seems to be on a run of pulling directors out of exile, recently teaming with Brian De Palma on his gestating “Toyer” so we’ll watch with interest to see where this one goes.