‘300’ Thesp Rodrigo Santoro Joins Dylan Thomas Feature ‘Dominion’

EXCLUSIVE: Rodrigo Santoro, who reprised his role as Xerxes in this year’s 300: Rise of an Empire ($330M+ worldwide) and was the voice of Tulio in Fox’s animated fav Rio 2 ($450M ww), has stepped into the indie drama about Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Dominion, which is based on the last day of Thomas’ short life at the White Horse Tavern in New York, is being shot in black and white by Steven Bernstein (cinematographer on Monster, Like Water for Chocolate) from his own script. The film also stars John Malkovich and Rhys Ifans.

Santoro will play the bartender at the White Horse, a pivotal role as a character who continues to communicate with Thomas throughout the film. Diego Luna was previously being talked up for the role. The tavern, which opened in 1880, became a well-known Bohemian hangout in New York in Greenwich Village in the 1950s and is still a going concern on Hudson and 11th St. The film is being produced by Richard Gladstein, who noted, “It’s not a biopic at all, but rather a testament to the man and his legacy.” Thomas died at the age of 39 of pneumonia but was a voracious drinker.

Santoro is hot as can be right now starring alongside Will Smith and Margot Robbie in the heist movie Focus and having just wrapped The 33, the true film about the Chilean miners. (more…)