Cast already includes Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney.

Guy Pearce and Dominic West have joined the cast of Michael Grandage’s Genius, announced today by Desert Wolf Productions and the Michael Grandage Company.

It bolsters an already strong cast that includes Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney.

Pearce, best known for roles in Memento and more recently Iron Man 3, will play the role of F. Scott Fitzgerald alongside The Wire star Dominic West, currently seen in Pride, as Ernest Hemmingway.

The film makes the debut feature of celebrated theatre director Grandage and shooting will commence this October at Shepperton Studios and on location in the UK.

Adapted by playwright and screenwriter John Logan (Skyfall) from A. Scott Berg’s book, Genius tells the true story of the complex relationship between literary giant Thomas Wolfe and Scribner’s iconic editor Max Perkins.

Law stars as Wolfe opposite Firth as Perkins, with Kidman as Aline Bernstein and Laura Linney as Louise Perkins.

Genius marks the third collaboration between director Grandage, his producing partner James Bierman and Logan following successful stage productions of Red inspired by artist Mark Rothko, which amassed six Tony Awards (including best director) and, most recently, Peter and Alice starring Dame Judi Dench and Ben Wishaw.

“John Logan is one of the greatest story tellers of our time both on stage and screen and I’m loving working with him again on Genius” said Grandage.

FilmNation are handling international sales and CAA the domestic sale.

Tim Bevan (Les Miserables, Atonement) is executive producer alongside producers Bierman, Grandage and Logan.

Production designer is Mark Digby (Slumdog Millionaire, Rush), DoP is Ben Davis (Guardians of the Galaxy), costume designer is Jane Petrie (Moon) is costume designer and editor is Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire, Les Miserables, Macbeth).

Grandage was artistic director at the Donmar Warehouse for 10 years. The newly formed Michael Grandage Company has just completed a sell-out 15 month theatre season in London’s West End. Productions included Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan starring Daniel Radcliffe, which transferred to Broadway, and Henry V starring Jude Law.

Desert Wolf Productions was founded by Logan in 2012 to create film, television and theatre projects, and is behind Showtime series Penny Dreadful.

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