Soon to be the latest in the ever-fascinating portrayals of U.S. Presidents, Mike Newell’s Cold War era historical drama, Reykjavik, is in the process of rounding out its cast. With 2-time Oscar winner, Michael Douglas, already booked to play President Ronald Reagan, Christophe Waltz steps in to take on the role of former Russian premier Mikhail Gorbachev. The film is to be produced by Headline Pictures, Scott Free Productions, Participant Media and Mark Sennet Productions and will center on the famous meeting in Reykjavik between the two influential leaders and how it was instrumental in bringing about the end of the Cold War. Still in pre-production, it is set to begin filming in the Icelandic capital in March 2013.
Director Mike Newell expresses his enthusiasm for the film’s casting so far in The Hollywood Reporter here:
“I feel very fortunate to have two such masters to portray the men who brought about the end of the third great war of the 20 Century. Reagan and Gorbachev were two of the most significant politicians and individuals of their times…I’m very excited to see how each of these great actors gets to grips with their role as the history-changing giants we remember them to have been.”
The movie is to be based on a screenplay written by Kevin Hood (Becoming Jane) and Ken Adelman, foreign policy expert and part of the negotiating team for Reagan in Reykjavik, will also be joining the team.
Snagging two respectively tenured and animated actors in Douglas and Waltz to depict such iconic figures, who inarguably changed the course of history, definitely pegs this film as one with promise.
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Tags: Cold War, Director, Entertainment/Culture, Kevin Hood, Michael Douglas, Mike Newell, Mikhail Gorbachev, premier, President, Reykjavik, Ronald Reagan, Russia, Scott Free, The Hollywood Reporter, United States
2 Comments













Neither of those actors look the slightest bit like the men they are set to be portraying. On one hand, the actors are talented and can probably work well together, on the other, this seems dramatically miscast.
UBourgeois(Quote) (Reply)
That’s actually what I was thinking when I first heard about Michael Douglas as Reagan and now that same thing with Waltz. I suppose their acting chops will have to compensate for the lack of physical resemblance. I still can’t get over seeing Hannibal Lector as Nixon…
Nicole Melkonian(Quote) (Reply)