Berlin: ‘The Lobster’ Nets Rachel Weisz, Colin Farrell

The Lobster is the first English-language film for Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, whose Dogtooth scored an Oscar nomination in 2009. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz will lead the unconventional love story that’s set in a dystopian future where finding a partner is a matter of life and death. Shooting is set to kick off on March 24 in Ireland with Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Olivia Colman, Ariane Labed and Angeliki Papoulia also in the cast. (Zero Dark Thirty‘s Jason Clarke had previously been attached to a lead role but dropped out over scheduling conflicts with Everest.) Co-written by Lanthimos and longtime collaborator Efthimis Filippou, The Lobster is being sold by Protagonist Pictures, kicking off at this week’s EFM. Irish outfit Element Pictures is producing with Lanthimos’ Limp, and Ceci Dempsey’s Scarlet Films. Producers are Lanthimos, Lee Magiday, Ed Guiney and Dempsey, with Element’s Andrew Lowe as executive producer. Haut et Court (The Returned), is co-producing and distributing in France. Also partnering on the project are Christos V. Konstantakopoulos of Greece’s Faliro House, Haut et Court’s Carole Scotta and Derk-Jan Warrink, Joost de Vries and Leontine Petit of Lemming Films in Holland. Weisz is repped by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and the UK’s Independent Talent Group. Farrell is with CAA.