A Gentlman in Moscow: Ewan McGregor to replace Kenneth Branagh as Count Alexander Rostov

As headlines have lately been continuous news about Warner Bros retooling things for their streaming’s service, the suits over at Paramount have recently made their own announcements about plans for the future. The studio plans to expand their streaming offerings in a big way with an eye on the international market. They also have announced that a genuine A-lister, Ewan McGregor, has now been cast in the Paramount+ original series, A Gentleman in Moscow. 

Deadline reports that Ewan McGregor will be replacing actor Kenneth Branagh in the role of Count Alexander Rostov, which Branagh was announced to play back in 2018. McGregor expressed his excitement in taking on this role, “It’s an amazing, wonderful story, and I am very excited to get to play such a fabulous role.” 

Rostov’s story is one of redemption in the wake of the Russian Revolution:

“Spared immediate execution, he is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol, threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again. As the years pass and some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history unfold outside the hotel’s doors, Rostov’s reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. As he builds a new life within the walls of the hotel, he discovers the true value of friendship, family, and love.”

A Gentleman in Moscow is an adaptation of the novel written by Amor Towles, which was an international best-seller. It’s set to head into production this year. This production will be the first in a new first-look deal eOne has with Popcorn Storm Pictures. Popcorn Storm’s Tom Harper says of the project, “The book is a rare and delicious treat, and I fell in love with it the moment I picked it up six years ago. We are thrilled that Amor entrusted this brilliant team with bringing the Metropol to life and couldn’t be more delighted that Ewan will be playing the Count.”

McGregor will also serve as an executive producer on the show. You can currently catch McGregor on the Disney+ Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi.