It’s been a few good years for English-born actor, Sam Worthington — making some major bank in blockbusters including, Avatar, Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans. Now reports indicate that the action star is going back to his roots, presumably before work on James Cameron‘s sequels, as he’s been hired to lead the upcoming drama-thriller, The Riders, for Australian director Robert Connolly.
Michael Hirst, Francesca Brill and Brooks-Smith adapted the screenplay, which is based from Tim Winton‘s award-winning novel of the same name. The film centers on “Australian expatriate Scully (Worthington) who prepares to start a new life with his wife Jennifer and young daughter Billie in Ireland.” His life is then turned upside down when he goes to the airport to meet up with his family, but only finds Billie and not a word from his now missing wife. “With Billie in tow, he travels to Korcula and Paris in search of Jennifer: beginning a journey of self discovery that will alter the course of his life in ways he could never have envisaged.”
Charles Dance and Timothy Spall will also be joining the cast, in some unidentified roles. As for Connolly, he’s had some success over in Australia directing the drama thriller The Bank, as well as producing various project over the past 15 years. Winton has also had some success on the adaptation front, seeing as his other novel, Breath, is also in development, with Simon Baker attached to star.
Here’s the detailed synopsis of the novel via Amazon:
After traveling through Europe for two years, Scully and his wife Jennifer wind up in Ireland, and on a mystical whim of Jennifer’s, buy an old farmhouse which stands in the shadow of a castle. While Scully spends weeks alone renovating the old house, Jennifer returns to Australia to liquidate their assets. When Scully arrives at Shannon Airport to pick up Jennifer and their seven-year-old daughter, Billie, it is Billie who emerges — alone. There is no note, no explanation, not so much as a word from Jennifer, and the shock has left Billie speechless. In that instant, Scully’s life falls to pieces.
The Riders is a superbly written and a darkly haunting story of a lovesick man in a vain search for a vanished woman. It is a powerfully accurate account of marriage today, of the demons that trouble relationships, of resurrection found in the will to keep going, in the refusal to hold on, to stand still. The Riders is also a moving story about the relationship between a loving man and his tough, bright daughter.
Shooting for The Riders will commence soon on location in Paris and the Dalmatian Coast, with a international release date slated for January 2014. [MovieHole]
Would you be interested in seeing The Riders with Worthington attached?