Jake Gyllenhaal has signed up to star in an HBO adaptation of Jo Nesbø's bestselling crime novel The Son.
The limited series will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, who previously collaborated with Gyllenhaal on the 2013 thriller movie Prisoners, and represents the actor's first ever series-regular TV role.
Set in Oslo, Nesbø's novel follows Sonny Lofthus, an escaped convict and opioid addict who can't recall his past, as he attempts to evade the law. According to Deadline, Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve considered adapting the novel into a feature film before deciding it would make more sense in the longer form of a limited series.Westworld creators Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan and Lisa Joy are on board as executive producers alongside Lenore Zion (Billions), who will also write the series.
“Jonah and Lisa are a formidable creative force and we are excited to collaborate with them again, alongside the brilliant Lenore, to adapt Jo Nesbø’s novel,” HBO's Francesca Orsi said. “Denis is a master at weaving visually exquisite and unique narratives, Jake is a gifted actor and producer whose work often traverses provocative and compelling terrain, and of course, he and Denis have collaborated brilliantly in the past. We are beyond excited to see how this powerhouse team tackles this exceptional work.”
The new role tops off an exciting few days for Gyllenhaal, who has just picked up his first Tony Awards nomination. You can watch him sharing some laughs with Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland on The Graham Norton Show below.
Are you looking forward to seeing Jake Gyllenhaal in The Son?