#IrishActor: Jonathan Rhys Meyers to play German commander in Harald Zwart’s The 12th Man

Variety is reporting that Irish star Jonathan Rhys Meyers has signed on to co-star in The 12th Man, from The Karate Kid director Harald Zwart.

The film is set during World War II, and is based on the true-story of Jan Baalsrud, a member of the Norwegian resistance to Nazi occupation who was a commando trained by the British. In early 1943, he, three other commandos and the boat crew of eight, all Norwegians, embarked on a dangerous mission to destroy a German air control tower at Bardufoss, and recruit for the Norwegian resistance movement. This mission was compromised and Ballsrud was the only surviving member.

Meyers will play the real-life German commander Kurt Stage in the film, which is based on a script from Kon-Tiki‘s Petter Skavla. Zwart will produce for Zwart Arbeid, in association with Nordisk Film. TrustNordisk is handling international sales and attempting to sell the film to buyers in Marché du Film at Cannes this week.