Ruth Wilson (The Affair) and Andrew Scott (Fleabag) have signed on to star in the HBO original movie Oslo, which Steven Spielberg will executive produce. Bartlett Sher will direct from a script by fellow Tony Award winner J.T. Rogers, who also wrote the critically acclaimed stage play of the same name.
The film is based on a true story about the negotiations between implacable enemies; the secret back-channel talks, unlikely friendships and quiet heroics of a small but committed group of Israelis, Palestinians and one Norwegian couple that led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.
Wilson will play Mona Juul, a Norwegian foreign minister, while Scott will play her husband, Norwegian sociologist Terje Rød-Larsen.
Although Spielberg’s involvement means next-to-nothing – an executive producer is rarely more than a “I think the script is good and I’ll use my name recognition to help the film” credit – he was able to get some of his frequent collaborators also on board, such as Marc Platt (Bridge Of Spies) and Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Post) to produce.
Those names likely helped HBO’s interest and pushed production forward quicker than it would have without them. Filming has already begun in Croatia and will soon move to the Czech Republic. HBO’s Tara Grace said in a statement:
“Recounting the remarkable feat of two diametrically opposed sides coming together to find common ground, Oslo‘s themes are especially pertinent, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have so many revered artisans on both sides of the camera working together to bring this to life”.
Oslo is expected to debut on HBO and HBO Max sometime next year.
#Peace.Love.Oslo
