A story coming out of Cannes tells us that recent Oscar winner Colin Firth will be starring in a currently untitled dark comedy for Dante Ariola, a commercial director who’s making his feature debut. Also starring Emily Blunt, the Focus Features movie is financed by Vertebra Film and produced by Cross Creek Pictures’ Brian Oliver and Alisa Tager.

Written by Becky Johnston, the movie follows a man played by Firth who “missed his one shot at living the dream.” He decides to fake his own death “in an attempt to reinvent himself,” meeting a woman (played by Blunt), who’s “also in the process of trying to escape her old life.” Eventually, they begin to “break into empty houses to seal the identities of the absent owners.” Eventually, they “find a kindship despite all the lying.”

Filming begins in fall of this year, and territories are being sought by Focus at Cannes right now. There isn’t too much to go on right now, but the combination of the two actors is exciting, and a quick look at some of Ariola‘s commercial work shows that he has talent. Having already worked with people like Clifton Collins Jr. and Willem Dafoe is impressive, but getting these two as leads is a great thing for a first movie. Thanks to those involved, this could turn out to be something unique.

Does this project sound interesting to you? What do you think of the two leads, and of the director’s past commercial work?

Sources: THR, Deadline