Suspense, crime, conspiracy, secret police, all set in the Stalin-era backdrop of Russia – those are the ingredients of the upcoming thriller Child 44, for which Summit Entertainment has now officially announced a planned release date of April 17, 2015. 

The film, based on a novel by Tom Rob Smith, tells of framed and imprisoned police officer Leo Demidov, who begins to unravel an intricate mystery of government-related homicides. The story is inspired by real-life crimes committed by serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, nicknamed the Rostov Ripper.

Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises) will play the lead while Noomi Rapace, who is no stranger to crime and suspense after her breakthrough role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, will co-star. Also included in the cast are Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Vincent Cassel (Black Swan), Jason Clarke, and Joel Kinnaman, with the latter two each reuniting with Oldman after their respective roles in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and RoboCop. The film is being directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), with production currently taking place in the Czech Republic.

Hardy was recently added to the cast of the highly anticipated The Revenant, with Leonardo DiCaprio. He will also be seen this September alongside Rapace in The Drop, where audiences can get an idea of what their on-screen dynamic will be like. It’s anyone’s guess, but after these films, the two stars could potentially become Hollywood’s next power duo.

Keep checking here for all of the latest information as it becomes available.