Christoph Waltz, ever the busy man these days, has signed on to play former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev alongside Michael Douglas as Ronald Reagan in the new historical drama, REYKJAVIK. Directed by Mike Newell (DONNIE BRASCO) the film will depict the 1986 summit meeting between Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan that helped lead to the INF Treaty, which eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, and was a major step towards ending the cold war between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
The script is by BECOMING JANE’s Kevin Hood. The big draw here is Douglas and Waltz together onscreen, portraying two of the most influential people of the 20th century. I think it will be interesting to see their dynamic and how they display the idiosyncracies of each individual. They’ve definitely got the chops to put on a good show.
The film is slated to start shooting in March 2013 with a release date to be determined.