Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke to Star in Music Drama ‘Sound of Metal’

Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke will star in “The Sound of Metal,” a drama that will mark the directorial debut of Darius Marder, who is best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Derek Cianfrance.

Plot details are being kept under wraps as are the descriptions of who Ahmed and Cooke would be playing.

Michael Costigan and Ben Leclair are producing the pic. Production is set to start next week in Boston.

Next up, Ahmed will co-star in “The Sisters Brothers,” directed by acclaimed auteur Jacques Audiard, and in Sony’s “Venom.” Ahmed recently co-created and sold a modern-day take on “Hamlet” to Netflix, a feature film he will also topline. He has also sold a nine-part drama series to the BBC called “Englistan.”

Cooke most recently starred in Warner Bros.’ “Ready Player One” from Steven Spielberg and the Focus Features thriller “Thoroughbreds.” She can be seen this fall in the ITV/Amazon show “Vanity Fair.” The actress will also appear in Dan Fogelman’s highly anticipated film “Life Itself.”

Ahmed is represented by CAA, and Gordon and French in the U.K. Cooke is represented by CAA, Grandview, Shepherd Management in the U.K., and attorney Gretchen Bruggeman Rush.

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