Oscar-nominated writer-turned director Dan Gilroy wowed critics and audiences with his 2014 thriller Nightcrawler. His anticipated followup, Inner City, is now in pre-production for a March shoot and looks to be another Los Angeles-set crime story, with all the elements that made Nightcrawler a critical hit.
Inner City is described as a legal thriller set in the underworld of an L.A. law firm. Denzel Washington is starring in the film as Roman J. Israel, an attorney who discovers some not-so-favorable things about his late partner and decides to right his wrongs. It now appears that the Oscar-winning Washington may have found one of his costars for the movie, in the form of Colin Farrell.
As reported by Variety, Farrell is in talks to costar in Inner City as an attorney who works at the same firm as Washington's character in the film. Farrell was last seen on the big-screen in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He also recently wrapped production on Sofia Coppola's adaptation of The Beguiled, in a role previously played by Clint Eastwood. Washington, who joined the Inner City cast late last year, will make this his next leading role before reprising as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 2, a sequel that has now pulled director Antoine Fuqua off the Scarface remake.
Farrel and Washington are undoubtedly two of Hollywood's top dramatic actors, but they've not yet appeared in the same film. Both performers have proven to be versatile big-budget action-thriller headliners, while receiving rave reviews for intimate dramas. Farrel's performance in last year's quirky comedy The Lobster earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination, and Washington is now a Best Actor Oscar contender for his film Fences. The dramatic adaptation of the Fences play is also nominated for Best Picture (with Washington having directed and produced the movie, in addition to starring).
The potential powerhouse team-up of Farrell and Washington adds clout to Inner City, as does their pairing with director/writer Dan Gilroy. Gilroy's also on top of Tinseltown as a writer, being co-credited with the story and screenplay of next month's anticipated Kong: Skull Island. Before wowing us with his directorial debut Nightcrawler, Gilroy also co-wrote the Hugh Jackman starrer Real Steel, and the Jeremy Renner-led The Bourne Legacy.
Part of the appeal of Nightcrawler was the rarity of a well-made original story in a sea of remakes, reboots and sequels. The modestly budgeted $8.5 million thriller brought in a worldwide gross of over $38 million, no doubt due to word-of-mouth buzz. Gilroy directed what is arguably Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance to date, earning the actor accolades that included Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations. It will be interesting to see what the director pulls out of Washington and Farrell. Depending on the yet to be announced release date of Inner City, we could be looking at award consideration a year from now.
Source: Variety