AFM: Alex Pettyfer to Lead ‘Hunters in the Dark’ (Exclusive)

I Am Number Four and Magic Mike star Alex Pettyfer is set to topline a film adaptation of Hunters in the Dark from noted author Lawrence Osborne.

The directorial debut of theater director Simon Evans, whose stage credits include the Olivier-nominated Killer Joe with Orlando Bloom, the film was written by Osborne from his own novel, which focuses on an Englishman adrift in Cambodia who is eager to sidestep a life of quiet desperation as a small-town teacher. Christopher Doyle, best known for his collaborations with Wong Kar-Wai, will shoot the project, which Double Dutch International is introducing at AFM.

“Shot against the backdrop of modern Cambodia, a country that is itself trying to construct a new face to mask the horrors it endured in the second half of the 20th century, Hunters will explore identity, atonement and the dark currents that flow underneath human nature and fight back when we try to change our path,” said Evans in a statement.

Hunters in the Dark is being produced by Axel Kuschevatzky and Phin Glynn of Infinity Hill and Pettyfer and James Ireland of Dark Dreams Entertainment, together with Cindy Teperman. Jason Moring of DDI serves as executive producer in co-production with Nicholas Simon’s Indochina. Osborne has three other projects in development, including The Forgiven, directed by John Michael McDonagh.

This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter‘s Nov. 9 daily issue at the American Film Market.