Viggo Mortensen Teams With HanWay Films For Directorial Debut

Viggo Mortensen teams with HanWay Films for directorial debut

The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Oscar-nominated actor Viggo Mortensen has set the upcoming drama Falling with HanWay Films as his directorial debut.

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The story, which was also written by and features Mortensen in one of the lead roles, follows John Petersen (Mortensen) as he invites his conservative father into his Los Angeles home while he searches for a place to retire. Their worlds collide as his father Willis comes to live with John and his partner Eric and their adopted daughter Monica.

Mortensen is joined in front of the camera by Golden Globe-nominated actor Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Millennium), who will play the role of Willis, as well as Sverrir Gudnason (The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Borg vs McEnroe), whose role in the film is currently unknown.

The film will be produced by Mortensen and Daniel Bekerman (The Witch) and HanWay Films will handle the international sales and distribution beginning at the American Film Market.

“The industry has always regarded Viggo as a really soulful artist. He is a talented photographer, poet, and musician,” HanWay managing director Gabrielle Stewart said. “His screenplay for Falling is a powerful, well-observed family drama. We are thrilled to be part of his promising and exciting directorial debut.”

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The production will also include cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, who previously worked with Mortensen on The Two Faces of January in 2014, and production designer Carol Spier, a frequent collaborator of David Cronenberg on films including Videodrome and The Fly, as well as having previously worked with Mortensen on Eastern Promises and A History of Violence.

Mortensen can next be seen in the upcoming comedy-drama biopic Green Book alongside Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews from critics, currently maintaining a 100% fresh rating from 22 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)