Rami Malek’s 20th Century Thriller ‘Amateur’ Among First Studio Shoots To Get Rolling In UK After Strikes

Jake Kanter
·1 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: After a grueling few months for UK film and TV producers, there are signs that the industry is starting to head back to work following twin actors and writers strikes in the U.S.

Amateur, the 20th Century terrorism thriller starring Rami Malek, will be among the first studio shoots to resume filming in London next month, sources tell Deadline.

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Amateur, which also stars Rachel Brosnahan and Laurence Fishburne, was halfway through production when the feature’s hundreds of cast, crew, and contractors were put on hiatus in July.

The film’s cast has prioritized the project ahead of other commitments they would be shooting had the strike not happened. “Productions needing lead actors back to complete means other shows and films cannot schedule starting,” said a source.

Amateur is directed by James Hawes, whose debut feature, the Anthony Hopkins vehicle One Life, has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season. Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights.

Amateur follows a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won’t act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself.

Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, it was adapted by Ken Nolan. Scott Frank and Gary Spinelli wrote on the draft before the WGA strike, with Nolan returning to do production writing.

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