Despite a fairly illustrious acting and directorial career back home, Gallic actor-writer-director Guillaume Canet is probably better known stateside simply as the partner of Marion Cotillard, even after the international success of his taut-thriller "Tell No One." That is all likely to change very soon, however, with Canet set to tackle his English-language debut, "Blood Ties."
The project is set to begin lensing at the end of this month with indie-scene regular Lili Taylor and "The Wire" star Domenick Lombardozzi now rounding out the films cast while Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts (star of Oscar nominated "Bullhead" and Jacques Audiard's upcoming "Rust & Bone" opposite Cotillard) is confirmed as well.
Co-scripted by Canet and James Gray, the '70's New York-set story follows two brothers, on either side of the law, who face off over organized crime in Brooklyn and is loosely based on Jacques Maillot's 2008 film "Rivals," which itself starred Canet. For his own iteration of the story, Canet already has a stellar, ensemble cast with Billy Crudup and Clive Owen playing the two leading brothers; Cotillard and Mila Kunis as their partners; Zoe Saldana, James Caan and Noah Emmerich in various supporting roles along side the aforementioned trio of Taylor, Lombardozzi and Schoenaerts.
We look forward to seeing what Canet crafts here particularly with a talent-filled cast like this and a script written alongside Gray. Lensing begins on April 30th in New York. [Variety]