Kenneth Branagh has signed on to produce and star in a TV adaptation of A Gentleman In Moscow.
The Dunkirk actor will star as protagonist Count Alexander Rostov in the TV project, which will be based on Amor Towles‘ novel about a man sentenced to house arrest in Russia’s luxury hotel Metropol in the 1920s.
Branagh will reunite with producer Mark Gordon, who he worked with on Murder on the Orient Express, for the project and Tom Harper has signed on to direct, according to Deadline.
“Ken is a world class talent celebrated for portraying captivating and layered characters, and Tom is a master at crafting gripping and thought-provoking television,” Gordon says. “We are delighted to collaborate with them on A Gentleman in Moscow, which exemplifies the kind of premium content led by acclaimed talent that we are dedicated to creating at eOne (distribution company).”
Meanwhile, Branagh is busy preparing for the sequel to Murder on the Orient Express, which he directed and starred as Agatha Christie’s literary detective Hercule Poirot. Death on the Nile is slated for a 2019 release, as is the actor/director’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl, which will feature his Murder on the Orient Express castmates Dame Judi Dench and Josh Gad.
Sir Kenneth is directing the big screen adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s popular fantasy novel, in which Irish actor Ferdia Shaw will star as criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II, who plots to extort gold from the Fairy People.
Actors Lara McDonnell and Nonso Anozie have also been cast in the movie, which is set for an August, 2019 release.
