Thomas M. Wright, Harry Greenwood, New Zealand’s Marton Csokas and Scottish actress Karen Gillan have been added to the cast of Adam Cooper’s Sleeping Dogs starring Russell Crowe.
Production on the crime thriller begins in Victoria this month. Crowe plays Roy Freeman, a former homicide detective tasked with re-examining the grisly murder of a college professor (Csokas) in the wake of a cutting-edge Alzheimer’s treatment.
Intrigued and fighting to regain his memory, Roy enlists his former partner to help him revive the investigation. This time though, things unfold very differently when they encounter a magnetic and mysterious woman (Gillan). As he uncovers a tangled web of contradictions and secrets, Roy is forced to face a horrific reality that changes his world forever in the blink of an eye.
Cooper and Bill Collage adapted the story from E.O. Chirovici’s novel The Book of Mirrors for what is the Cooper’s directorial debut. The pair also produce alongside Mark Fasano of Nickel City Pictures, and Deborah Glover and Pouya Shabazian of New Leaf Literary. Matthew Goldberg, Cliff Roberts, Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier and Ford Corbett executive produce.
Sleeping Dogs received a grant of $3.1 million to shoot in Australia via the Federal Government’s Location Incentive, with the expectation it will create 220 jobs for local cast and crew. It is also being supported Victorian Government’s Victorian Screen Incentive.
Victorian Creative Industries Minister Steve Dimopoulos said the project built Victoria’s pipeline of major screen productions and boosted the state’s profile as a screen leader.
“Sleeping Dogs will deliver hundreds of local job opportunities while boosting businesses in catering, transport, accommodation, and more,” he said.
“This project will utilise our cutting-edge technical capabilities, our screen facilities, stunning locations across Melbourne, and world-class crews and talent, with Victoria once again showcased as a global leader in screen production.”
Worldwide sales for Sleeping Dogs are continuing at the European Film Market.