The Norwegian crime-thriller HEADHUNTERS was one of my favorite films at this year’s Fantastic Fest (read my review here) and it’s so good, I knew walking out that it was only a matter of time before it got a Hollywood remake. Today we have word that Summit has acquired the remake rights to the film and the novel it was based on by author Jo Nesbø.
The story follows a corporate headhunter who’s got a side gig as an art thief, which he sells to finance his high-living lifestyle and his trophy wife. When his latest plot to steal a $100 million painting from a colleague goes terribly wrong, he’s forced to go on the run and fight for survival.
After watching the film, I thought it’d be a perfect role for Tom Cruise, if he were ever ballsy enough to take it. The character starts as a successful, smug and short (seriously, they repeatedly make a point of mentioning he overcompensates for being short) – three things that Cruise can play well. The only problem would be that Cruise would almost have to play against type as the action hero. The character is a little bit of a fancy boy and isn’t the typical Ethan Hunt style action heroes that Cruise is used to playing.
So far no writer or director is attached to adapt the project for American audiences but when that happens, this is certainly a project to keep an eye on. And here’s hoping they can convince Cruise to poke fun at his own image.
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