“Fifty Shades of Grey” stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have found new co-stars for their upcoming projects, TheWrap has learned.
Guillaume Canet (“The Beach”) will join Dornan in Richie Smyth’s “Jadotville,” while Johnson has joined Alison Brie in New Line’s romantic comedy “How to Be Single,” which has also added Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens and Leslie Mann.
Kevin Brodbin (“Constantine”) wrote “Jadotville,” which is a geopolitical thriller set against the backdrop of war that Alan Moloney is producing under his Parallel Films banner.
Dornan stars as Irish Commandant Pat Quinlan, who leads a stand-off with troops against French and Belgian mercenaries in the Congo during in the early 1960’s. Canet will portray the Frenchman Falquez, Quinlan’s enemy.
Bloom has come on to handle international sales on “Jadotville” and will introduce the film to foreign buyers at the EFM in Berlin next week. Domestic rights are being repped by UTA Independent Film Group. “Jadotville” is an Irish-South African co-production, which will begin shooting in the spring in South Africa.
“We are always trying to find amazing stories to tell and this extraordinary true story of heroism against all odds is just that. To see Jamie, who is one of the most exciting leading men working today, alongside Guillaume, is a fantastic opportunity,” said Bloom’s Alex Walton.
As for “How to Be Single,” Christian Ditter is directing from a script by Dana Fox who worked off a script by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Liz Tuccillo that was published by Atria in 2008, and production will begin in April in New York. New Line will release the film on Feb. 12, 2016 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Spanning a multi-year period, “How to Be Single” is an ensemble comedy that suggests it is not our relationships, but our single times in between, that truly define us. The film will aim to honestly portray both the male and female views of singlehood. Additionally, the film will look at relatable issues such as online dating, casual sex, blind dating, the debate about how long to wait before having children, when to get married and the fear of commitment.
John Rickard will produce with Fox, while Drew Barrymore, Nancy Juvonen and Marcus Viscidi will serve as executive producers. New Line executives Michael Disco and Dave Neustadter will oversee the project for the studio.
Dornan and Johnson are poised for stardom, with “Fifty Shades of Grey” tracking strong as its Feb. 13 release date nears. Dornan also has “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” on the horizon, while Johnson has wrapped “Black Mass” and “A Bigger Splash.”