Amma Asante’s The Billion Dollar Spy, starring Russell Crowe and Harry Lawtey, is in pre-production ahead of a 10-week Hungary shoot which begins April 14.
Post-production work will take place in the UK.
The producers are Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan and Cher Hawrysh for Walden Media with Akiva Goldsman and Greg Lessans for Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures. Jane Hooks is executive producer; Ildiko Kemeny, David Minkowski and Ferenc Szále of Pioneer Stillking Films are on board as co-producers.
HanWay Films is handling international sales.
Bafta-winner Asante, whose credits include Belle, A United Kingdom and episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, is directing from a script by Stephen Gaghan, who revised a draft written by Ben August, based on the book by David E. Hoffman.
The true story follows Adolf Tolkachev who becomes a spy despite repeated CIA rejections thanks to his ally agent Tom Lenihan and goes on to fundamentally impact the balance of power during the late stages of the Cold War.
This story originally appeared on Screen’s sister site Screen Global Production.
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