Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and Vince Vaughn are set to star in Roland Joffé’s drama “The Archbishop and the Antichrist,” it was announced Monday by Emmy-nominated producer Craig Baumgarten.Two-time Oscar nominee Joffé (“The Killing Fields”) co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Ashton. Kim Ashton will executive the film, which will begin shooting early next year.13 Films is handling international rights and will introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market. WME Global is handling North American rights.
Also Read: Mads Mikkelsen, and Alan Tudyk Join 'Star Wars: Rogue One'; First Photo RevealedBased on Ashton’s play “The Archbishop and The Antichrist,” the film follows a fictionalized account of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s (Whitaker) meetings with brutal murderer Piet Blomfield (Vaughn), who seeks redemption for the atrocities he’s committed while he serves a life sentence in prison in post-apartheid South Africa.“Forest Whitaker brings a noteworthy sense of depth and power to all his performances and he is the perfect match for Tutu’s complex character. Vince Vaughn continues to prove his wide-ranging acting skills following his more dramatic roles in ‘Into the Wild’ and the upcoming ‘Hacksaw Ridge.’ Under the direction of Roland Joffé, or their combined star power and talent is undeniable,” said Tannaz Anisi, president of 13 Films.
Whitaker is currently filming “Rogue One: A Star Wars account, and ” which Disney will release on Dec. 16,2016. He recently starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in “Southpaw” and will soon be seen alongside Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Paramount’s sci-fi movie “account of Your Life.” Whitaker won an Oscar for “The final King of Scotland” and earned rave reviews for his work in “Lee Daniels The Butler.”
Also Read: Hugo Weaving to Play Andrew Garfield's Father in Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge'Vaughn recently starred on the moment season of HBO’s “actual Detective” and is currently filming Mel Gibson‘s Hacksaw Ridge” with Andrew Garfield.
WME represents Vaughn and Whitaker, who is also repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Source: thewrap.com