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The Son: HBO Taps Jake Gyllenhaal to Star, Denis Villeneuve to Direct

Published Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:22:12 -0500

by Brittney Bender

Last updated Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:24:25 -0500

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New York Times bestselling author Jo Nesbø's tale of vengeance set amid Oslo's brutal hierarchy of corruption will be getting a series order at HBO Max, with Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, announcing on Tuesday that The Son will star and be executive produced by Nine Stories' Jake Gyllenhaal. Denis Villeneuve (Dune) will direct and executive produce, with writer Lenore Zion serving as showrunner and executive produce with Kilter Films' Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (HBO's Westworld), Nine Stories' Riva Marker, and Kilter Films' Athena Wickham.

The Son — Jake Gyllenhaal (left) and Denis Villenueve (right). Source: Variety

"Jonah and Lisa are a formidable creative force and we are excited to collaborate with them again, alongside the brilliant Lenore, to adapt Jo Nesbø's novel," said Orsi. "Denis is a master at weaving visually exquisite and unique narratives, Jake is a gifted actor and producer whose work often traverses provocative and compelling terrain, and of course, he and Denis have collaborated brilliantly in the past. We are beyond excited to see how this powerhouse team tackles this exceptional work." Bold Films' David Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak, and Svetlana Metkina also serve as executive producers with Jo Nesbø and Niclas Salomonsson. Nine Stories Productions, Kilter Films, and Bold Films will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television.

HBO's "The Son" Gains A New Cast Member: Jake Gyllenhaal — Cover of "The Son" by Jo Nesbø. Source: Goodreads

The story of the limited series, and that of the book, follows the main character Sonny Lofthus, who has been wrongly convicted for a set of crimes and endured prison time because of this. Some hidden truths Lofthus learns about a family member is what sets him to seek escape and a possible road to revenge. The story possibilities this brings for a limited series like The Son, especially one starring Gyllenhaal, is abundant and will make many fans excited for what's to come. Along with such a strong story comes the executive producing to be done by the co-creators of HBO's Westworld, Nolan and Joy. Villeneuve may be looking to continue the success he had with Gyllenhaal previously and take an opportunity to reunite on another story with darker themes.

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