“Avatar” star Sam Worthington, “Cloud Atlas” actor Jim Sturgess and “True Blood” stud Ryan Kwanten will join Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins in Informant Media’s international action-thriller “Kidnapping Freddy Heineken,” the company announced Tuesday.
Daniel Alfredson, who directed both sequels to the original Swedish adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” will direct from a script by UK-based writer William Brookfield, who adapted the bestselling book by Netherlands crime journalist Peter R. de Vries.
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Story follows one of the most notorious kidnappings of the 21st Century, which resulted in the largest ransom ever paid for an individual at that time. Brewery magnate Freddy Heineken (Hopkins) and his chauffeur, Ab Doderer, were kidnapped in 1983 and released for a ransom of 35 million Dutch guldens, which is the equivalent of about $50 million today.
Worthington, Sturgess and Kwanten will likely play the kidnappers in the movie, which also stars Netherlands actor Mark van Eeuwen and Australian newcomer Tom Cocquerel.
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Informant Media partners Judy Cairo and Michael A. Simpson are producing with Howard Meltzer under the Informant Europe banner. Informant’s Eric Brenner will executive produce the movie with Darrel Casalino, Sam Solakyan, Grant Guthrie and Sandra Siegal.
Casting director John Papsidera will co-produce along with Guirec van Slingelandt of Netherlands-based European Film Company. uFilm is also co-producing in Belgium.
The film is being financed by Informant Media, Global Film Partners, Three Point Capital, uFilm and the National Bank of Canada. Embankment Films will handle international pre-sales and distribution.
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Productions starts in late October in Belgium before moving to Amsterdam and New Orleans.
Informant Media’s past credits include Scott Cooper’s award-winning drama “Crazy Heart,” the period comedy “Hysteria” with Maggie Gyllenhaal, the action movie “Erased” with Aaron Eckhart and Josh Boone’s “Stuck in Love,” which stars Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly.
CAA reps Sturgess and Worthington, who is also repped by Anonymous Content. CAA also reps Kwanten along with Orly Adelson Productions.