The Dead Don’t Hurt: Viggo Mortensen set to direct and star in western romance with Vicky Krieps

Viggo Mortensen has recently made his directing debut with the 2020 drama, Falling. The Lord of the Rings star has already secured his sophomore effort behind the camera with the upcoming western titled The Dead Don’t Hurt. Mortensen will also be starring in the film alongside Vicky Krieps, Solly McLeod, Danny Huston, Garret Dillahunt, Tom Bateman, Lance Henriksen, and W. Earl Brown. The western romance will be brought to us by Talipot Studios and Hanway Films.

Official synopsis:

The Dead Don’t Hurt is a Western love story that takes place in the 1860s. Krieps stars as fiercely independent French Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, Vivienne agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, where they start a life together. The Civil War separates them, leaving Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Dillahunt) and his violent, wayward son Weston Jeffries (McLeod), aided and abetted by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Huston). Olsen’s eventual return challenges their relationship as they have to confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a tale of revenge, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.

Mortensen also spoke about his intention with this project, saying, “My aim is to do justice to the story of a uniquely resilient woman living in a lawless and isolated part of the U.S. Southwest in the 1860s. Vivienne is a woman for all seasons; courageous, unfailingly honest and direct, yet capable of great empathy. The idea is to not simply have a woman play the leading role in a Western, but to have her lead the way in our story by virtue of her fiercely uncompromising nature. Vivienne is a real woman who stands alone in her time and place because of her principled behaviour, forward-thinking, and passion for life. We are very fortunate to have the talented Vicky Krieps embody this role, and, with the help of the great team we have assembled thanks to Talipot Studio, we hope to do justice to her exemplary life.”

The film is reportedly shooting in Durango, Mexico and in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.