Outside of her supporting role in blockbuster Oz the Great and Powerful, Michelle Williams has been keeping a relatively low profile since her Oscar-nominated turn in My Week with Marilyn. Now, though, with anticipated drama Manchester by the Sea in the can, the actress is lining up another highly promising project in mining drama Gold.
Matthew McConaughey and Edgar Ramirez are already attached to star in the “inspired by true events” pic, which dramatizes and takes some liberties with the story of the 1993 Bre-X Minerals mining scandal. Williams will be taking on the role of McConaughey’s wife.
Some may remember the high-profile incident, in which one part of the company fraudulently reported that it had unearthed a massive gold deposit at its Indonesian site. Stock prices soared, until gold samples were found to be a fraud, at which point Bre-X collapsed and its shares became utterly worthless.
Stephen Gaghan (Syriana) is directing the prestige pic, which was scripted by duo Patrick Massett and John Zinman (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, TV’s Last Resort).
Gold is ramping up for a shoot next month that will take place in New York, New Mexico and Thailand. Expect The Weinstein Company, which is famed for ferociously backing its movies, to make a big awards push, especially given how hot McConaughey is right now. He won Best Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club at the 2014 Oscars, and upcoming drama Sea of Trees could have him in contention this year as well.