James McAvoy to join Charlize Theron spy thriller “The Coldest City”

PanARMENIAN.Net - James McAvoy is set to join Charlize Theron in the Focus Features’ spy thriller “The Coldest City,” Variety reports citing sources.

“John Wick” director David Leitch recently announced he would be helming the pic rather than “John Wick 2,” which will be helmed by his partner Chad Stahelski.

Kurt Johnstad penned the pic about an undercover MI6 officer turns up dead on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a female super spy by the name of Lorraine Broughton (Theron) must find the list he was smuggling into the West – a log containing the names of every espionage agent working undercover in Berlin. Broughton delves into an underground world of counter-intelligence, defections gone awry and secret assassinations to recover the list, risking her own life to save the lives of the British agents. But, in this world of deceit and double-crossing, one never knows who is working for whom or can really be trusted.

Focus acquired the film at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Production is set for a November shoot in Budapest and Berlin.

The pic will be produced by Denver and Delilah Productions, Oni Press and Sierra Pictures

Universal Pictures International has bought Australia/New Zealand, Benelux, China, France, Germany, Italy, Latin America, Switzerland and the U.K. DeaPlaneta acquired Spain, and Freeman Distribution/Monlith/Blitz bought Eastern Europe.

McAvoy recently came on to replace Joaquin Phoenix in M. Night Shyamalan’s next thriller, which will shoot after this film. He can be seen next in Fox’s “Victor Frankenstein” opposite Daniel Radcliffe, which bows on Nov. 25. He will also reprise his role of Professor Charles Xavier in “X-Men: Apocalypse,” which bows next summer.