Paul Dano in Talks to Join Jane Campion’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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Paul Dano is in negotiations to join Benedict Cumberbatch in Netflix and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.”

Netflix acquired the film earlier this summer from See-Saw Films’ in-house sales arm Cross City Films. Variety first reported on the project earlier this month and Cross City Films launched sales at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Netflix will release the film in 2021 on the streaming platform and in theaters. Transmission Films will be releasing theatrically in Australia and New Zealand. The deal excludes United Kingdom free TV rights, which are retained by BBC Films.

Campion directed the movie, adapted from the 1967 Thomas Savage novel of the same name. It follows wealthy Montana brothers who are two sides of one coin. Cumberbatch portrays a man who is stolid, fastidious and gentle, while his brother is graceful, brilliant and cruel. They are joint owners of the biggest ranch in the Montana valley. When Cumberbatch’s character secretly marries a local widow, his brother wages a sadistic, relentless war to destroy her by using her effeminate son as a pawn.

See-Saw Films and Big Shell Films/Max Films Production are producing the movie in association with Brightstar and BBC Films. The project has been developed with BBC Films, which is also backing production. See-Saw Films’ Emile Sherman and Iain Canning are also producing alongside Max Films’ Roger Frappier, Big Shell’s Campion and Brightstar’s Tanya Seghatchian. BBC Films’ Rose Garnett, See-Saw’s Simon Gillis and Brightstar’s John Woodward are executive producing.

Dano most recently directed the IFC Films pic critically acclaimed “Wildlife” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan. On the acting side, he was recently nominated for an Emmy in the best supporting actor in a limited series or movie category for his work in Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora” opposite Benicio del Toro. He is repped by WME, Anonymous Content, Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, Binder & Christopher and Relevant.

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