A big-screen adaptation of David E. Hoffman's real-life espionage story The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal has found a lead actor in Russell Crowe, who will share the screen with Harry Lawtey, also tapped to play lead alongside the Gladiator actor.
Crowe is said to be playing a Soviet character, Adolf Tolkachev, who is put in the uncomfortable position of leaking top-secret information about his government to the United States. Lawtey will play a CIA agent who contacts him.
According to Deadline, Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, known for films like Traffic and Syriana, did revision work on a script penned by Ben August, with Amma Asante set to direct. The film is backed by Walden Media and Weed Road Pictures.
In a statement, Walden Media head Frank Smith said, "Walden Media has always sought to tell stories of extraordinary courage, and Billion Dollar Spy is no exception. Adolf Tolkachev’s bravery reminds us that true heroism often comes at great personal risk, and his legacy is a testament to the power of standing up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming danger. We are especially thrilled to again work with the great Russell Crowe, who is no stranger to tour-de-force performances."
Aside from this project, Crowe will also be seen next in the post-World War II drama Nuremberg, the action thriller Bear Country, and the sports drama The Beast In Me. He last appeared in the superhero movie Kraven the Hunter, opposite Aaron Taylor Johnson.
