TORONTO — Scottish thesp Gerard Butler has signed to play the lead in the Canada/U.K./Iceland co-production “Beowulf & Grendel.”
Butler (“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,” “Timeline”) has just returned from Cannes, where he was promoting Joel Schumacher’s upcoming “The Phantom of the Opera” and Shona Auerbach’s “Dear Frankie,” in which he has lead roles.
Part fable, part horror story, “Beowulf & Grendel,” directed by Sturla Gunnarsson (“Rare Birds,” “Such a Long Journey”), is an adaptation of the epic poem “Beowulf,” about a Norse warrior’s battle against Grendel the murderous troll. The poem is said to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write “The Lord of the Rings.”
The epic medieval adventure will lense in Iceland for 10 weeks beginning in August. The setting includes real glaciers, a fake 6th-century village and a replica of a Viking ship.
“Beowulf & Grendel” is produced by the Film Works and Eurasia Motion Pictures of Canada, the U.K.’s Spice Factory and Bjolfskvioa of Iceland.
Andrew Rai Berzins is the writer and co-producer on the pic.