Principal photography has begun in Hungary on Walden Media and Weed Road Pictures’ Cold War thriller Billion Dollar Spy directed by Amma Asante, with Tony Goldwyn, Rufus Sewell, and Justin Theroux joining Russell Crowe on the cast.
Hanway Films handles international sales, and CAA Media Finance represents US rights.
The true story of Soviet spy Adolf Tolkachev stars previously announced Crowe in the lead, with Harry Lawtey as his Moscow-based CIA handler Tom Lenihan, Vera Farmiga as Tolkachev’s wife Natasha, and Willa Fitzgerald as Lenihan’s wife Mae.
Bafta winner Asante, whose directing credits include Belle and A Way Of Life, directs from the adapted screenplay by Ben August and Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan based on David E. Hoffman’s non-fiction book about Tolkachev.
Goldwyn will portray CIA case officer Burton Gerber, Sewell plays CIA Moscow bureau chief Gus Hathaway, and Theroux is CIA case officer Van Spencer. Additionally, Tennyson Crowe joins as Tolkachev’s son Sasha Tolkachev.
Tolkachev was one of the CIA’s most invaluable assets during the Cold War. Disillusioned with the Soviet regime, he risked his life to pass thousands of pages of top secret intelligence to the United States. A portrait of Tolkachev, spy camera in hand, still hangs in the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where it is the only non-American portrait on the premises.
Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan, and Cher Hawrysh of Walden Media are producing alongside Akiva Goldsman and Greg Lessans of Weed Road Pictures. Jane Hooks and Naia Cucukov are executive producers. Pioneer Stillking Films’ Ildiko Kemeny, David Minkowski, and Ferenc Szále will serve as co-producers.
“Under Amma’s direction, we’re confident this cast of extraordinary actors will deliver performances that do justice to David Hoffman’s riveting book and to Tolkachev’s remarkable act of courage,” said Walden Media president and CEO Smith.
“We are thrilled that such an exciting project with an amazing team behind it is finally in production and look forward to sharing more news with buyers in Cannes,” said Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films.
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