While some directors use their connections to always attract big stars to their films, it's always more impressive to see those who earn that kind of trust. That was certainly the cast for Jeremy Saulnier, who broke out in 2013 with his sophomore effort, revenge flick Blue Ruin, which starred his childhood buddy Macon Blair. The skill he showed there attracted some top names to his third movie, the acclaimed Green Room. And it looks like Saulnier is having no issues casting up his next film, Hold the Dark.
Alexander Skarsgard, Jeffrey Wright, Riley Keough, James Badge Dale, and James Bloor (Leatherface) have joined the film, an adaptation of William Giraldi's novel. Set in the Alaskan wild, it centers on a hunter brought in to track wolves that have kidnapped and killed children. From there he deals with all kinds of obstacles even harsher than the unforgiving terrain, like a missing child's grief-crazed father, a secretive mother, and more.
Blair wrote the screenplay, and he's getting a nice boost from his Sundance award-winning directorial debut I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore. That film is debuting on Netflix soon, and the streaming service has also gone all-in on Hold the Dark. If they've become the exclusive home for all Saulnier/Blair projects that would be just fine.
