I was wondering what was happening with Cary Fukunaga’s “77 Blackout,” which was supposed to star Tom Hardy and Mahershala Ali. It seems like Fukunaga has put that project aside and is now set to direct another film with Hardy.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be joining Hardy and Fukunaga for a Jo Nesbo crime-thriller adaptation, “Blood On Snow,” which Deadline describes as “the biggest pre-sales title at TIFF.” Nesbø is writing the script which is based off of his own best-selling novel of the same name.
The story, taking place in 1970’s Oslo, has two rival gang leaders fighting for territorial control. Production is set to take place this fall, so we are likely looking at a 2025 release date for this film. The synopsis reads:
Hoffman (Hardy) has a trusted hitman, Olav (Johnson), a cold, efficient killer, perfect for the job. But beneath his ruthless exterior lies an unexpected intelligence and an unwavering moral code shaped by a complicated childhood…When Hoffman orders his own wife to be murdered, Olav’s principles clash with his loyalties. Instead of pulling the trigger, he hatches a scheme that makes him Hoffman’s next target and with nowhere safe to turn, Olav forms an uneasy alliance that places him at the heart of Oslo’s deadly gang war. Once a violent enforcer, Olav’s choice makes him an unlikely hero in a world where no good deed goes unpunished.
Nesbo has had a few of his novels turned into films, most notably “Headhunters” and “The Snowman.” This is his first foray into film writing, although he’s scripted three TV shows, all Norwegian produced, including the upcoming Leonard Cohen biopic “So Long, Marianne.”
This will also be an interesting opportunity for Fukunaga to test the waters, so to speak. Especially coming off 3-year-old allegations of improper sexual behavior, which he has vehemently denied.
In 2021, he was accused of pressuring an actress into doing a topless scene for “True Detective” which she claimed wasn’t included in her contracted role as a stripper. This opened the floodgates against Fukunaga.
Months later, in April and May 2022, three women accused Fukunaga of various forms of sexual harassment, including “pursuing relationships with them” on the set of Apple TV’s “Masters of Air”. Then on May 31st, 2022, Rolling Stone added new allegations, via "nearly a dozen sources," that Fukunaga pursued younger women on set.
This was all happening as Fukunaga was releasing his last film, 2021’s James Bond capper “No Time to Die.” Before these allegations, Fukanaga broke out with his high wire and stylish directing in the first season of “True Detective.” He also helmed the much-lauded “Beasts of No Nation,” and a popular Netflix series (“Manic”).
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.