Rising star Tahar Rahim (“The Eagle”) is set for a plum role opposite Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”) in the highly anticipated new film from Asghar Farhadi, who describes it as “an emotional social thriller” with numerous twists and elements of A Separation, his Oscar-winning Iranian drama. That’s an unusual mix, but color us intrigued nonetheless.
Bejo recently replaced Marion Cotillard in the role, who had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. Shooting is expected to begin this October with a quick turnaround to be ready for the Cannes Film Festival next summer.
Brave New Hollywood has been keeping an eye on Rahim ever since broke out as a powerhouse actor with serious leading man potential in Jacques Audiard’s The Prophet three years ago. However, since then, “Rahim has pretty much avoided the allure (of) Hollywood and the bigger paychecks,” notes IndieWire, “aside from a part in Kevin MacDonald’s The Eagle.”
CLICK HERE for Brave New Hollywood’s past coverage of Tahar Rahim.
Rahim has instead opted for quirky, challenging parts for auteurs who follow the beat of their own music far outside the studio system. But this new role is tailor-made to put him back into the film festival spotlight. The French-language thriller, which comes with a decently sized $14 million budget, is Farhadi’s first film shot outside his native Iran.