Christoph Waltz is all set to play former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the upcoming Mike Newell drama Reykjavik. The actor will star opposite Michael Douglas, who snatched the role of Ronald Reagan.
The film, which once was a Ridley Scott project, will focus on the 1986 meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev, where they discussed methods of creating peace. Some say that Reagan’s stipulations set out at the meeting went so far as to help end the Cold War.
Check out the official plot summary below:
[Reyjkavik] takes place over a few days in 1986, when Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for talks in the Icelandic capital to iron out peace against the backdrop of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Director Mike Newell had this to say on the casting.
“I feel very fortunate to have two such masters to portray the men who brought about the end of the third great war of the 20 Century. Reagan and Gorbachev were two of the most significant politicians and individuals of their times,” said Newell. “I’m very excited to see how each of these great actors gets to grips with their role as the history-changing giants we remember them to have been.”
It’s nice to see Waltz taking a role like this, something that can truly put his talents to use. Admittedly, he put on a good performance in Carnage but aside from that, his other films since Inglourious Basterds have been duds (Water for Elephants, The Green Hornet, The Three Musketeers).
With Reykjavik though, and upcoming projects like Django Unchained and The Zero Theorem, it looks like Waltz is back to choosing quality projects and as a big fan of the actor, I couldn’t be happier.
Production on Reykjavik is expected to begin in March in Iceland. Are you happy to see Christoph Waltz starring opposite Douglas? Let us know in the comments below.