Ryan Gosling is set to star in The Actor as a Hollywood icon in the 1950s struggling to reclaim his memory after a horrific beating. Based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, The Actor will be directed by Duke Johnson using a script co-written by Johnson and Stephen Cooney. Gosling and Johnson will produce alongside Waypoint Entertainment’s Ken Kao, Innerlight Films’ Abigail Spencer, and Make Good’s Paul Young.
Per Deadline, The Actor stars Ryan Gosling as New York actor Paul Cole, a man “who is beaten and left for dead in 1950s Ohio. Stripped of his memory and stranded in a mysterious small town, Paul struggles to get back home, piece together and reclaim the life and identity he’s lost. The Actor follows a journey relatable to many: to find home, to find love, and ultimately to find ourselves.”
The Actor is one of many projects in the works with Gosling attached in a starring role. He is also set to co-star with Chris Evans in Netflix’s upcoming spy movie The Gray Man, based on the novel of the same name. With Avengers helmers Joe and Anthony Russo directing with a budget to the tune of $200 million, the intention is to create a new James Bond-like franchise. In the movie, Gosling will play Court Gentry, a former CIA operative turned freelance assassin.
Last year, it was also reported that Gosling was cast in the lead in Universal’s upcoming monster movie reboot The Wolf Man. Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (Orange Is the New Black) reportedly wrote the script based on an original pitch by Gosling. Because Gosling will first need to finish work on The Gray Man before tackling The Wolf Man, it’s not yet clear when the monster movie reboot will begin production.
Apparently always playing some kind of Man, Gosling was last seen on the big screen in the 2018 movie First Man. A Neil Armstrong biopic, the movie starred Gosling as the famous astronaut in the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. Gosling and co-star Claire Foy earned immense critical praise for their performances. Damien Chazelle directed using a screenplay by Josh Singer. Steven Spielberg executive produced the project.
Also recognized for his roles in movies like The Notebook and Lars and the Real Girl, one of Gosling’s most popular roles was as a getaway driver in the 2011 action movie Drive. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and co-starring other big names like Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, and Ron Perlman, the movie has been widely praised by filmgoers and critics alike. Gosling is also known for his roles in titles like Blade Runner 2049, The Ides of March, and his Golden Globe-winning role in the musical La La Land.
The Actor will be shopped at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, and as of now, it’s not yet clear when production might begin on the movie project. No other actors have yet been announced as a part of the cast. This news comes to us from Deadline.