After playing the lead villain in X-Men: Days of Future Past earlier this year, Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage is lining up yet another interesting project as he’s now signed up to star in The Thicket.
The movie is an adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s crime thriller The Thicket, and if his name sounds familiar to you, then it’s because another of his novels was adapted recently. That was the brilliant Cold in July starring Michael C. Hall and directed by Jim Mickle. Some of his other work has also been adapted in the past.
Hailed as one of the best American crime novels to emerge in recent years, The Thicket is set in tough, turbulent and feral East Texas in the early 20th century. This dark thriller follows the story of Jack, an innocent young man, who goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister after she has been kidnapped by a violent killer, Cut Throat Bill, and his gang. Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Shorty (Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave, and a street-smart prostitute. Together they track the girl into the deadly no-man’s land known as The Big Thicket – a place where blood and chaos reign.
Gianni Nunnari (Seven) is producing, and he had this to say in a statement about the project. “That Joe Lansdale’s dark vision will be brought to life by the brilliantly talented Peter Dinklage starring as Shorty — it is a dream of mine.” Dinklage (who will next be seen in Pixels) would add: “Completely original. The characters and the world they inhabit jumped from the pages for me in such a cinematic way.”
This sounds like an interesting project for the actor, though there’s currently no word on a director or release date. Hopefully it reaches us reasonably soon however, as The Thicket already sounds like a must-see movie!
