Jake Gyllenhaal is teaming up with Dune director Denis Villeneuve on a limited HBO series, which sees the actor and director reunite for the first time since their films Prisoners and Enemy back in 2013.
Based on the bestselling novel by author Jo Nesbø, The Son is “a tale of vengeance set amid Oslo’s brutal hierarchy of corruption”. Gyllenhaal will star as Sonny Lofthus, an escaped convict and opioid addict on the run from the law, with no memory of his past. Villeneuve will direct the series.
According to HBO’s official release, “Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve are also set to serve as executive producers of the series, with the former producing through his Nine Stories’ banner along with his partner Riva Marker. Kilter Films’ Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy will join as executive producers along with Kilter Films’ Athena Wickham. Lenore Zion is set as showrunner and will also executive produce”.
Before settling on The Son, Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve spent years trying to find their next project together, Deadline reports. While the pair originally aimed to adapt The Son into a feature film, the script writing process led them to opt for a longer story format via a limited TV series.
In the meantime, Villeneuve is, no doubt, busy working on the release of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel Dune, which has been confirmed for release in October 2021. Interestingly, Timothée Chalamet, who plays the film’s lead, auditioned for Prisoners, but didn’t make the cut. Swings and roundabouts, Timmy!
Watch the trailer below.