'Anvil!' Director Sacha Gervasi To Adapt Jo Nesbo's 'Headhunters' For The Big Screen

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by Ryan Sartor
December 15, 2011 9:21 AM
2 Comments

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” feels like an anomaly. Everybody’s grandmother has read the thing, but will these sweet old ladies show up for a film that has been rated R for “brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language?” Sony is betting on it, big time. Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig are signed on for the next two films, and now other studios are getting into the business of adapting Scandinavian crime novels for the big screen, hoping to cash in on the next big trend.

Jo Nesbo seems to be Norway’s answer to Stieg Larsson, and he's been on a hot streak in Hollywood lately, as his novel “The Snowman” was recently picked up by Working Title as a possible directing vehicle for Martin Scorsese. And now Sacha Gervasi (writer of “The Terminal” and “Henry’s Crime,” director of the rock doc “Anvil!”) has been hired by Summit Entertainment to turn Nesbo’s novel “Headhunters” into a feature film.

"Headhunters" tells the story of a corporate headhunter of high profile clients, who turns to stealing from his clients to keep up the extravagant lifestyle he has begun showing his girlfriend, only to finally meet his match. It's dark, twisted and a little comedic, not unlike something the Coen Brothers would conjure up. That vibe was something we latched onto when we reviewed the Norwegian film adapation of the book directed by Morten Tyldum, when it played the London Film Festival earlier this year. At the same time, we found the story intriguing, if somewhat hollow, and an enjoyable-in-the-moment lark. Here's hoping Gervasi can infuse the story with a bit more weight as it transitions to the multiplex.

It's another project added to Gervasi's very busy plate as he's also gearing up to direct "Alfred Hitchcock & The Making Of Psycho" next spring with Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. [Deadline]

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2 Comments

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Benjamin | December 15, 2011 2:23 PMReply

Argh, a remake's completely unnecessary. The norwegian film's pretty solid by itself. The only other remake I've heard of that sounds just as unnecessary, or perhaps even worse, is the 'Who Can Kill A Child?' one that Gerardo Naranjo's filming
James | December 15, 2011 10:51 AMReply

That trailer looks bloody terrific.