Irish actor Jamie Dornan has been cast in Miramax’s new psychological thriller The 9th Life of Louis Drax. The actor is best known to Irish audiences for The Fall but will soon be known to the world as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey.
Horns director Alexandre Aja is set to direct, working from a debut screenplay from English actor Max Minghella,who has adapted Liz Jensen’s best-selling novel of the same title. Principal photography will commence in Vancouver, Canada this October.
Speaking on the project Minghella is quoted as saying “Tim [Bricknell of Antcolony Films] and I are thrilled this deeply personal project is being brought to fruition with passion and integrity. We look forward to collaborating with Alex and Miramax to create a truly original movie that will captivate and surprise audiences.”
Aja added, “Max’s script takes us on a very emotional journey through the deep recesses of the mind and on a suspenseful Hitchcockian ride. I was drawn to the poignant family drama and the supernatural elements, and am excited to bring this rich and complex story to life.”
Thomas J. Barrack, Jr., Chairman of Miramax, said, “This spectacular psychological thriller will be a classic Miramax production. There is no better storyteller in the industry than Max Minghella and no more talented director than Alexandre Aja. Together, they will weave a unique and masterfully crafted script with the bold and powerful talent of Jamie Dornan and his accompanying cast!”
Plot-wise the film begins on Louis Drax’s 9th birthday, when he suffers a near-fatal fall. In order to reveal the strange circumstances surrounding the young boy’s accident Dr. Allan Pascal (Dornan) is drawn into a thrilling mystery, testing the boundaries of fantasy and reality.