Colin Farrell to Star in Edward Berger’s ‘The Ballad of a Small Player’ for Netflix

Colin Farrell continues to keep busy, with the Oscar-nominated actor set to star in Edward Berger’s next feature for Netflix.

Farrell will play the lead in The Ballad of a Small Player, which is based on author Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name. Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) will helm the movie from a script by Rowan Joffe (Before I Go to Sleep). Filming is set to begin this summer in Asia.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• 'Life After Death' Star Tyler Henry on Current Tour, Challenges of Reading Celebrities and What's on His Rider

• Hope for 'Heels'? Canceled Wrestling Drama Licensed to Netflix (Exclusive)

• Adrian Schiller, Star of 'The Last Kingdom,' Dies at 60

The Ballad of a Small Player centers on a high-stakes gambler who is dealing with debts and his questionable past while trying to keep a low profile in Macau when he meets a kindred spirit.

Producers include Berger for Nine Hours, Mike Goodridge for Good Chaos, and Matthew James Wilkinson for Stigma Films. The Ballad of a Small Player is the initial feature under Berger’s first-look deal with Netflix.

Berger directed Netflix’s 2022 film All Quiet on the Western Front, which was nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, along with the director earning a nom for his work on the screenplay. Berger’s next film is the thriller Conclave, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. It is set for a November release from Focus Features.

Farrell currently stars on the Apple TV+ drama series Sugar, which launched this month, and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin. His upcoming projects include the Max series The Penguin, in which he reprises the title DC Comics character that he played in the feature The Batman, and a role opposite Margot Robbie in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey from director Kogonada.

Deadline was first to report the news of Farrell’s casting in The Ballad of a Small Player.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• 12 of the Best Chase Scenes in Movie History

• Here Are All 13 of Taylor Swift's Documentaries and Live Concert Movies

• 11 of Pedro Pascal's Most Memorable TV Shows and Movies