As announced last May, Patrick Wilson and Jessica Biel are about to star in an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's murder mystery novel The Blunderer. Now, with shooting just underway, it's been revealed that they've been joined by Eddie Marsan. Haley Bennett is also in the cast of the film, under the watchful eye of director Andy Goddard (Set Fire To The Stars).
The film is actually currently without a title, but we'll stick with The Blunderer until a replacement turns up. Highsmith's novel was first published in 1953, in between Strangers On A Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. It involves successful architect Walter Stackhouse (Wilson), who's struggling in his marriage to the neurotic Clara (Biel) and finds his amorous attentions turning to music teacher Ellie.
As his personal life unravels in various ways, he becomes obsessed with an unsolved murder. Digging deeper into the case, he comes to the attentions of both the juicily-named killer Melchior J. Kimmel and the insanely dogged copper Lawrence Corby. Stackhouse's methods of dealing with his increasingly dire situation are, as the title suggests, somewhat clumsy.
Earlier this year Toby Jones and Imogen Poots were also being named in connection with the film, but there's no mention of them from Variety this morning. We'd cautiously surmise that Marsan may have nabbed Jones' role of killer Kimmel (although he could equally be playing Corby), and that Bennett has taken over from Poots as Ellie.
All will be revealed as we get further into production, however. Goddard's cameras are currently rolling in Cincinnati, and Susan Boyd wrote the screenplay. Sony are looking after distribution in the UK, but there's no release date yet. The novel is currently out of print in the UK, but Virago are re-publishing it next September.