Michael Fassbender has been offered the lead role of Keller Dove in the crime thriller Prisoners, a film that was high on the 2009 Black List, but is now languishing in development. The movie, which is being compared to such hits as Mystic River and Taken, focuses on Keller, a Boston father who kidnaps and tortures the person he suspected of kidnapping his daughter and her best friend.
IndieWire is reporting that Fassbender is considering the offer to play Keller, a Bible-reading survivalist. Keller becomes a vigilante, as the young detective in charge of his daughter’s disappearance doesn’t believe that Keller’s suspect is guilty. Thinking that the young detective is after the wrong guy, Keller takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps his suspect.
The news of Fassbender’s offer to appear in Prisoners, which was written by Aaron Guzikowski, comes after Bryan Singer signed on to direct the film. Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale were attached to the movie after Singer was hired, but the two actors later moved on to The Fighter. Singer then left the thriller as well, and filmmaker Antoine Fuqua and Hugh Jackman were being considered for the project.
After Fuqua and Jackman eventually left the movie as well, Leonardo DiCaprio then expressed interest, but eventually departed, as the shooting didn’t fit into his schedule. Ben Affleck also reportedly looked at stepping in to portray Keller, but nothing was made official on his end, either.
If Fassbender does sign on as the lead role in Prisoners, he’ll surely offer up a fascinating portrayal of Keller. He’s one of the most talented actors currently working in Hollywood and has given extraordinary performances in films like Hunger and X-Men: First Class.
That being said, the thriller may unfortunately never regain the buzz it’s lost, given its familiar story-line. Will this one be able to pick up steam again? What do you think?