Though it might seem like Steven Spielberg is happy to just cast Mark Rylance in all of his movies, he still has to build ensembles. In the case of The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara, he's added someone else who is no slouch in the thesping department: Oscar Isaac.
Mortara sees a reunion between Spielberg and his Lincoln writer, Tony Kushner. The writer is adapting David Kertzer’s novel, which charts the true story of a seven-year-old Italian Jew thrust into controversy in 1858 when he was taken from his parents and raised as a Catholic by authorities of the Papacy. He ended up becoming a priest in a story that sees the Pope (Rylance will play Pope Pius IX) clashing with the forces of Italian democracy.
We don't yet know who Isaac is playing, but we could see him as the lad's father, or possibly even a grown version of Mortara. The film will be shooting in early 2017, once the busy Spielberg finishes work on his next film, Ready Player One.
Isaac is, if anything, even busier, winning roles in big franchises (he'll be back for Star Wars: Episode VIII) and working for directors such as the Coens and Terry George. He's currently working on Alex Garland's next film, Annihilation.