Lady BirdstarTracy LettsandFargoactressRachel Blanchardare set to joinBen AffleckandAna de ArmasinAdrian Lyne’s erotic thrillerDeep Waterover at New Regency, Collider has exclusively learned.
As wereportedback in August,Deep Waterfinds Affleck and rising star de Armas playing a married couple who open up their marriage in the hopes of saving their relationship, only to see things take a dark and deadly turn.
Details on Letts and Blanchard’s characters are under wraps, but it’s believed that Blanchard is either playing a woman who has an affair with Affleck’s character, or whose husband has an affair with de Armas' character. Either way, she gets caught up in the couple’s kinky mind games.
The film is based on a novel byPatricia Highsmith(The Talented Mr. Ripley) that has been adapted byZack Helm(Stranger Than Fiction) andSam Levinson(Euphoria).Steve ZaillianandGarrett Baschare producing withAnthony KatagasandArnon Milchan, as well asGuymon CasadyandBen Forknerof Entertainment 360. Production will start next month, and the project is expected to fall under New Regency’s output deal with Fox/Disney.
Deep Watermarks a return to the thriller genre for Lyne, who hasn’t directed a feature since 2002’sUnfaithful. Before that, the English filmmaker helmed such classics asFlashdance,Fatal Attraction,9 1/2 Weeks,Jacob’s Ladder, andIndecent Proposal.
Letts co-stars in two major awards contenders this year, as he plays Henry Ford II inFord v Ferrari, as well as Mr. Dashwood inLittle Women, which re-teams him with hisLady BirddirectorGreta Gerwig. He also wrote the script forJoe Wright’s upcoming thrillerThe Woman in the Window, based on the novel byA.J. Finn.Amy Adams,Gary OldmanandJulianne Moorestar in that film, which will hit theaters next year. Letts is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behindAugust: Osage County, and he’s set to voice the role ofMichelle Pfeiffer’s ex-husband in the indie dramedyFrench Exit. He’s represented by Innovative Artists and attorney Stan Coleman.
Blanchard is a TV veteran who played Cher Horowitz on theCluelessTV series and starred in the acclaimed British seriesPeep Show. Her TV credits include the first seasons ofFargoandFlight of the Conchords, and she currently stars in the Audience Network seriesYou Me Her, now in its fifth and final season.Deep Wateris a coup for the actress, whose feature credits includeRoad Tripand a pair ofAtom Egoyanfilms –AdorationandWhere the Truth Lies, both of which were nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. She’s represented by Buchwald and Thruline Entertainment.
Affleck will shootDeep Waterbefore moving on to Ridley Scott’sThe Last DuelwithMatt DamonandJodie Comer.Click herefor the latest casting news on that project, which is in the process of adding a certain Star Wars villain.
[Jeff Sneider contributed to this report]
