Ray Stevenson, David Oakes to star in psychological thriller “Cold Skin”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ray Stevenson (“Thor,” the “Divergent” franchise) and David Oakes (“The Borgias,” “The White Queen”) will topline “Cold Skin” a elevated genre psychological thriller directed by Xavier Gens’ (“Hitman,” “Crucifixion,” “Frontiers”), Variety reports.

Now in production on mainland Spain, “Cold Skin” will be introduced to buyers by Gregoire Melin’s Kinology at next month’s Cannes Festival where Melin will unveil early footage.

Based on a best-seller of the same title by Albert Sanchez Piñol whose adaptation rights were said to have been pursued in their day by Focus Europe and Filmax, “Cold Skin” begins with a young man approaching a remote island on the edge of the Antarctic Circle to relieve a weather observer who has been stationed there in solitude. But all he finds is a deranged castaway who has witnessed a horror he refuses to name.

A high-concept, sometimes action thriller, appealing to the contemporary zeitgeist by its portrait of the monstrosity of mankind, “Cold Skin” co-stars Spain’s double-Goya nominee Aura Garrido (“Stockholm,” “The Department of Time”).

Two-time Academy Award winner Gil Parrondo serves as production designer: award-winning Ranchito (“Games of Thrones,” “The Impossible”) supplies VFX.

Co-financing with Kinology is Spain-based Babieka Films, which also lead-produces. Babieka co-produced via a tax vehicle Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and the Mike Medavoy-produced “The Promise,” with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. It has just wrapped the Lotus Ent. produced “Crucifixion.” Kanzaman France co-produces.

“I’m delighted to be working again with Xavier Gens, whose first two films I represented, on this highly original and compelling project crafted by the finest European crew,” Melin told Variety.

Principal photography will move to the Canary Islands later this month and then a further part of the shoot is planned for Iceland exteriors, said Babieka’s Denis Pedregosa.