After earning some of the best reviews of career for his lead turn in Yorgos Lanthimos’ acclaimed The Lobster, actor Colin Farrell (who earned a Golden Globe nod for his performance in The Lobster) appears to be making the most of it with enticing work both in the pipeline and in development. Variety noted today that Farrell is in negotiations to join the already impressively assembled ensemble cast of Steve McQueen‘s latest feature, Widows.
Widows already has Oscar winner Viola Davis (Fences) attached to headline, alongside Liam Neeson (Silence), Elizabeth Debicki (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), Tony winner Cynthia Erivo (Broadway’s The Color Purple), Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious franchise, Get Out breakout Daniel Kaluuya, and Andre Holland (Moonlight). McQueen directs the title – his feature follow-up to his Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave – and co-wrote the screenplay along with Gone Girl screenwriter and novelist Gillian Flynn. 20th Century Fox will distribute the title, expected in theaters sometime in 2018.
Widows, based on a 1983 miniseries, follows a con job gone awry as four armed robbers are killed in a failed heist, leaving their widows to complete their mission. While the role Farrell is in contention to portray is still somewhat up in the air, it appears he may play a political figure who gets dealt into the heist dealings in some fashion.
The film is but one noteworthy project the Irish actor has on his plate. This summer, he will be seen in Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled alongside an ensemble that includes Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning; that title (distributed by Focus Features) is rumored to make its debut at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Farrell also reunites with The Lobster‘s Lanthimos on the upcoming The Killing of a Sacred Deer (also starring Kidman); that title too may pop up at Cannes and is expected to open theatrically sometime later this year. Farrell is also currently filming Inner City, a crime drama from Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy starring Denzel Washington and recently became attached to appear in Disney’s live-action reboot of Dumbo directed by Tim Burton.
Farrell last appeared onscreen in the blockbuster Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.