Film to shoot in Ireland this March…
Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz have come on board to play the lead roles in ‘The Lobster,’ the first English-language feature for Oscar-nominated Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (‘Alps,’ ‘Dogtooth’).
The film, which is set to set to start shooting in Ireland on March 24th, was penned by Lanthimos and his long-time collaborator Efthimis Filippou, and is an unconventional love story set in a dystopian near future where single people, according to the rules of the Town, are arrested and transferred to the Hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released in the woods. A desperate man escapes from the Hotel to the woods where the Loners live and there he falls in love although it’s against the rules.
Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Olivia Colman, Ariane Labed and Angeliki Papoulia are attached to co-star. Australian actor Jason Clarke (‘Zero Dark Thirty’) had previously been cast in the lead role but had to exit the project over scheduling conflicts with Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Everest.’
“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work with such great actors. Their contribution to our film will enrich and expand the world we are trying to create and explore,” said Lanthimos. “Furthermore our team of old and new collaborators makes me very confident and excited to start making this film.”
‘The Lobster’ has the backing of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, and is being produced by Element Pictures, Limp, and Scarlet Films. Element’s Andrew Lowe is serving as executive producer.