The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss and Avengers: Endgame’s Benedict Cumberbatch have joined the big-screen adaption of The Power of the Dog.
The feature adaptation from helmer Jane Campion is based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel that tells the story of brothers Phil (Cumberbatch) and George Burbank. The two are joint owners of the biggest ranch in their Montana valley. When George secretly marries local widow Rose (Moss), an angry Phil wages a relentless war to destroy her by using her son Peter as a pawn.
“The Power of the Dog is a sublime novel that deserves a life on the big screen. I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, it really haunted me. The themes of masculinity, nostalgia and betrayal are an intoxicating mix,” Campion said. “It’s also rare to find a story where the themes, the plot and the characters build tension as they reveal each other and even the end is satisfying and unexpected. It will be the first time I’ve worked with a male lead, which is exciting. Phil is a charismatic and complex character who declares war on his brother’s new wife and her teenage son.”
The film is set to go into pre-production at the end of the year.
It will be presented to buyers at Cannes via Cross City Films.
