“Fast Five” star Joaquim de Almeida is set to play the male lead opposite Sandra Bullock in David Gordon Green’s political dramedy “Our Brand Is Crisis,” which has also added “What If” star Zoe Kazan to its strong ensemble cast, TheWrap has learned.
Smokehouse partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing the Warner Bros. movie, which will co-star their “Argo” actor Scoot McNairy, as well as Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie and Ann Dowd. The movie will be executive produced by Bullock.
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“Our Brand Is Crisis” is based on Rachel Boynton’s 2005 documentary of the same name, which focused on the use of American political campaign strategies in Bolivia by President Clinton’s former consultants James Carville and Stan Greenberg.
Bullock will play “Calamity” Jane Bodine, a retired American political consultant, while de Almeida will play Castillo, the former president of Bolivia who’s running for president for the second time in 15 years. No friend to the poor working class, Castillo is cold, aloof and completely out of touch with the common man — but he’s also also suffering from dementia, which sometimes leaves him confused.
Kazan has landed a supporting role as a young woman who digs up dirt on political candidates.
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Peter Straughan (“The Men Who Stare at Goats”) wrote the script, and Warner Bros. executives Courtenay Valenti and Racheline Benveniste will oversee the project for the studio. Production will start this fall.
De Almeida, who recently co-starred in “Fast Five,” previously appeared in “Behind Enemy Lines,” “Desperado,” “The Burning Plain” and “Che Part Two.” He also starred in the third season of “24,” and has guest starred on dozens of hit TV series including “Parenthood” and “Revolution” (pictured above). He’s represented by APA, the Lasher Group and attorney Frank Stewart.
Kazan recently strared opposite Daniel Radcliffe in “What If” and will soon be seen in HBO’s “Olive Kitteridge.” Her recent credits include “Ruby Sparks” with Paul Dano and the Joss Whedon-scripted “In Your Eyes.” She’s represented by UTA, Washington Square Films and Jackoway Tyerman.