The Son: Jake Gyllenhaal, Denis Villeneuve team for an HBO limited series

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Because good things can still happen during this dreadful year I'm pleased to inform you that Jake Gyllenhaal and Denis Villeneuve are reteaming for The Son, an HBO series based on Jo Nesbø's novel of the same name. The duo worked together in 2013 for the director's crime drama PRISONERS, which had Gyllenhaal starring opposite Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis. Word has reached the bullpen that HBO has given The Son a series order, with Villeneuve set to direct.

In addition to his starring role, Gyllenhaal will also executive produce with his partner Rita Marker through his Nine Stories studio. Villeneuve is also executive producing and will be joined by Kilter Films’ Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy alongside the aforementioned banner's Athena Wickham.

According to HBO, The Son is described as a tale of vengeance set amid Oslo’s brutal hierarchy of corruption.

“Jonah and Lisa are a formidable creative force and we are excited to collaborate with them again, alongside the brilliant Lenore, to adapt Jo Nesbø’s novel,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “Denis is a master at weaving visually exquisite and unique narratives, Jake is a gifted actor and producer whose work often traverses provocative and compelling terrain, and of course, he and Denis have collaborated brilliantly in the past. We are beyond excited to see how this powerhouse team tackles this exceptional work.”

Bold Films’ David Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak, and Svetlana Metkina also serve as executive producers with Jo Nesbø and Niclas Salomonsson.  Nine Stories Productions, Kilter Films, and Bold Films will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television.

For a time, The Son was expected to get a feature film adaptation, though it was eventually decided that the story would make for a better series rather than a big screen affair. In short, the story was deemed to be too long for a feature adaptation and so now it will arrive as a limited HBO series.