Rami Malek will star in the 20th Century Studios thriller “Amateur.” The picture, sources affirm, is in development.
Set to be directed by James Hawes, “Amateur” concerns a CIA cryptographer who loses his wife in a London terrorist attack. After his bosses refuse to take direct action, he blackmails his own agency into training him to allow himself to do the job himself.
Malek, who got his start in a small role in “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” burst onto the scene in USA Network’s buzzy conspiracy thriller “Mr. Robot.” He also played Freddie Mercury in Bryan Singer’s controversial but incredibly successful musical biopic, winning the Best Actor Oscar for the $905 million-grossing blockbuster. He has since starred in films like “Amsterdam” and “The Little Things” along with playing the prime bad guy in the most recent 007 movie, “No Time to Die.”
While the in-demand actor has several potential projects in the air, the director of Apple TV’s “Slow Horses” being attached makes this a strong contender to make the proverbial cut. Hawes directed all six episodes of that show and has also helmed several episodes of “Black Mirror.” He also directed “One Life,” starring Helena Bonham Carter and Anthony Hopkins.
Malek recently finished work on Chris Nolan’s atomic bomb drama “Oppenheimer.” He most recently signed to produce and star in a Buster Keaton miniseries for Warner Bros. TV.
