Jamie Bell Joins Thandie Newton And Cillian Murphy In The Retreat
The cast forThe Retreat, a thriller about a a husband and wife who have a strange encounter with a soldier while taking an island retreat, has been shifting around in the last year.Thandie Newtonhas been the constant, andCillian Murphyis currently playing the other half of the married couple. NowJamie Bellhas been tapped as the third key cast member. Details on who’s who and what’s what are after the break.
Deadlinehas Bell joining the cast, but doesn’t specify his role.Previous reportshave Cillian Murphy playing the husband, which leaves Bell to play the soldier they encounter.
I like Bell — like him a lot, actually — but that’s vaguely disappointing, asDavid Tennanthadpreviously been saidto play the solider. I’d really be curious to see Tennant in that sort of role, though Bell could be just fine. This isn’t a deal-breaker by any means. Just a change in direction, and quite possibly a better choice in the long run.
(And Jason Isaacs was once being discussed as Newton’s wife — I like that the casting is going away from anything resembling a tough guy to slightly more regular men.)
To recap the plot with a bit more detail,The Retreatfollows a couple seeking to rebuild their relationship by taking time out on a remote island. But their peace is shattered when they find a man in military uniform (Bell, presumably) half-dead on their doorstep who tells them there is a lethal virus killing millions on the mainland. Carl Tibbets wrote and will make his directorial debut.
I like the sound of the scipt — elements ofDead Calm, maybe, mixed with obvious possible influences like28 Days Later. But I suspect (or hope, at least) that the film is more of a psychological mindfuck thriller than it is a real zombie movie or other overt genre exercise. Regardless, I like this version of the cast, so let’s see it. (And if you’ve got the script, considersending it along.)
