Though he’s said to be courting David Fincher to take the reins on blockbuster sequel World War Z 2, Brad Pitt has another, much more realistic battle to fight. Ordering the Hollywood veteran to WWII once again – following Fury and Inglorious Basterds – Pitt and co-star Marion Cotillard will be thrust into the breathless world of espionage in Robert Zemeckis’ spy thriller, Allied.
Channelling the seemingly “electric chemistry” between Pitt and Cotillard, Zemeckis’ latest has the two leading stars cross paths in Casablanca, where a high-ranking German official has emerged as a top-priority target. Pitt plays Max Vatan, an elusive assassin ordered to the North African theater of war circa 1942; Cotillard, on the other hand, takes point as French Resistance fighter, Marianne Beausejour.
Currently aligned with an Oscar-friendly release toward the end of November, producer Graham King heaped praise on the film’s leading duo earlier this week, and while the teaser trailer above showcases a fair amount of gritty action, the interplay between Pitt and Cotillard appears to be Allied‘s true raison d’etre.
“Brad and Marion immediately had the utmost respect for each other, so once they delved into their characters, their chemistry was electric. It was crucial for Brad and Marion to not only begin rehearsing together before the shoot, but they also spent a lot of time developing their characters with the director. By the time we got to set, it was really amazing to see these characters already feel lived in and real.”
Allied will plot course for this year’s awards race when Robert Zemeckis’ wartime espionage thriller opens on November 23.