Colin Firth has joined the cast of the upcoming film Benjamin’s Crossing
Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) has signed on for the upcoming film Benjamin’s Crossing, according to Deadline. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Jay Parini. The novel is a “fictional re-creation of the life and times of intellectual, philosopher, and critic Walter Benjamin follows his intriguing life up to his final days, when he was forced to flee Paris ahead of the 1940 Nazi invasion,” according to the Amazon description. Benjamin’s Crossing will begin production in the fall of this year. The film will be financed by Fortitude International.
Benjamin’s Crossing will be directed by Pat O’Connor (Dancing at Lughnasa), who directed Firth in the 1987 film A Month in the Country. The film will be produced by Carl Effenson from Artimage Entertainment, Sally Jo Effenson of Joule Films and Lucas Jarach, Robert Ogden Barnum and Nadine de Barros.
Parini and Devon Jersild adapted the script from Parini’s novel. According to the site, the film, based on a true story, finds Benjamin fleeing his Paris home when the Nazis invade. “With nowhere else to turn, he meets Lisa Fittko, who is helping refugees escape to Spain through the Pyrenees. Despite his weak physical condition, Lisa reluctantly agrees to bring him along, leading an unlikely group of refugees on a daring adventure that will change their lives forever.”
Firth won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2010 film The King’s Speech. He’s known for his work in films like The English Patient, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Shakespeare In Love and Love Actually. He’s also been seen in Kingsman: The Secret Service, a role he’ll be reprising in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Are you guys excited for Benjamin’s Crossing? Have you read the book the film is based on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @ComingSoonnnet.
