Berlin 2012: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Final Negotiations for 'A Most Wanted Man'

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for the BFI

Philip Seymour Hoffman is in final negotiations to star in thriller A Most Wanted Man.

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The project from director Anton Corbijn (The American, Control) is based on a 2008 novel of the same name by John le Carré. Andrew Bovell adapted the screenplay.

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A Most Wanted Man takes place in present-day Hamburg, Germany, where a mysterious, near-dead half-Chechen, half-Russian man on the run arrives in the city's Islamic community desperate for help and looking to recover his late Russian father's ill-gotten fortune. Hoffman will play chief of a covert German spy unit who works to solve the mystery of the man's identity.

Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood will produce via their Potboiler Productions banner. Also producing are Stephen and Simon Cornwell of Ink Factory and Malte Grunert of Amusement Park Film. Film4's Tessa Ross will executive produce.

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The project begins filming in Hamburg in September. 

FilmNation Entertainment is handling worldwide sales for the film.

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller