Prometheus star Logan Marshall-Green has enlisted for Fernando Coimbra’s upcoming Iraq war thriller Sand Castle, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Supplanting Luke Evans in the role of platoon leader Sergeant Baker, Marshall-Green’s casting scuppers any plans for an Immortals reunion, considering that the Man of Steel himself Henry Cavill is also part of the cast alongside Mad Max: Fury Road and Kill Your Friends star Nicholas Hoult.
Lifted from a script penned by Chris Roessne, Sand Castle is inspired by the author’s trying two years on the frontlines, who experienced combat first hand as a machine gunner deployed for over 200 missions in and around the treacherous Sunni Triangle. Largely focusing on Matt Ocre (Hoult), and Marshall-Green’s aforementioned Sergeant, Coimbra’s (Narcos) thriller will situate the pair and their squadron in the farming village known as Baqubah, where they are forced to fend off waves of enemies in order to protect the helpless natives.
Pulling the strings of the daring operation is Cavill’s special forces captain, and it’s up to him and Marshall-Green’s Sergeant Baker to keep the troops sane in the face of adversary, though it isn’t long before the causalities and odds begin to stack against them. Mark Gordon is producing the feature on behalf of his production company, while Treehouse Pictures’ Justin Nappi and Ben Pugh are also attached to produce.
Today’s switcheroo is far from the only recasting to affect Sand Castle, given that Fantastic Four‘s Toby Kebbell was once in line to fill the role occupied by Marshall-Green. Indeed, considering that Evans also backed out of production, it’s evident that the role of the decorated Sergeant has been a tricky butterfly to pin for the studio, and we’re fascinated to see how it pans out across the final feature film.
Principal photography on Sand Castle is now due to kick off next month ahead of a release in 2016.