Aksel Hennie To Star In Morten Tyldum's HEADHUNTERS

As anybody who is a regular reader of this site can tell you there are a handful of actors around the world whose careers I follow with particular intensity. It's not just because they're talented, though they certainly are. It's because they also have a nose for talent and a remarkable ability to attach themselves to strong scripts and strong directors as well. Ananda Everingham is one of these guys. Tadanobu Asano was for years, though he's slowed now. Nikolaj Lie Kaas is another. And in Norway, there's Aksel Hennie.

Hennie first came to my attention as the writer-director-star of gritty drama UNO, after which I found him in Hawaii, Oslo and was pretty much hooked. Hennie's a picky one, very selective with his projects, and I would imagine that would be even more the case than normal after the massive international success of Max Manus, in which he played the lead. And now here's what's next:

In Headhunters, we meet the charming scoundrel Roger, a man who apparently has it all. He's Norway's most accomplished headhunter. He's married to the unbelievably beautiful gallery owner Diana, has a far too sumptuous villa and must, to keep his head above water financially, steal a little too much art. At an opening, his wife introduces him to a Dutchman, Clas Greve. He is the perfect candidate for any top job: A former mercenary with a background as chief executive in the electronics business, with significant sex appeal as well. He's also in possession of a painting worth seven figures in Euros. Roger eyes a chance to liberate himself from his financial worries, and embarks on his greatest coup. Breaking into Greve's house turns out to be easy, but on his way out with the painting, Roger discovers something which will soon make him a hunted man. Everybody wants something. Nobody gets it for free. Not without stepping over corpses. The headhunt has begun.

A slick crime thriller with one of the finest actors of his generation. Yes, please.