JG Ballard adaptation fills out supporting roles…
Welsh actor Luke Evans (‘Dracula Untold,’ ‘The Hobbit’), Elisabeth Moss (‘Top of The Lake,’ ‘Mad Men’), James Purefoy (‘The Following,’ ‘Ironclad’), and ‘Nymphomaniac’ actress Stacy Martin are set to join Tom Hiddleston (‘Thor: The Dark World,’ ‘Crimson Peak’), Jeremy Irons, and Sienna Miller on the cast of Ben Wheatley’s ‘High-Rise.’
Based on the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name, the thriller centres on a new residential tower built on the eve of Thatcher’s England, at the site of what will soon become the world’s financial hub. Designed as a luxurious solution to the problems of the city, it is a world apart.
Enter Robert Laing (Hiddleston), a young doctor seduced by the high-rise and its creator, the visionary architect Anthony Royal (Irons). Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (played by Miller).
But rot has set in beneath the flawless surface. Sensing discord amongst the tenants, Laing meets Wilder (Evans), a charismatic provocateur bent on inciting the situation. Wilder initiates Laing into the hidden life of the high-rise and Laing is shocked at what he sees. As the residents break into tribal factions, Laing finds himself in the middle of mounting violence. Violence that he also finds emerging in himself.
Reece Shearsmith (‘The World’s End,’ ‘A Field in England ‘), Peter Ferdinando (‘300: Rise of an Empire,’ ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’), and comedian Dan Renton Skinner also star.
Filming is expected to get underway get month with a screenplay coming from Wheatley’s wife and regular collaborator, Amy Jump.