So far, Jay Baruchel has largely stuck to the comedy arena, but it looks like he's spreading his wings, as Deadline reports that he's a perhaps unexpected choice to star in David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis.
The project is an adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel of the same name, which centres around Robert Pattinson's Eric Packer, a billionaire who risks his entire financial fortune, cheats on his wife, and is pursued by a stalker, all within a 24-hour time frame. Well, that's the gist of it, but as anyone who's read the book will know, DeLillo's novel is not a straightforward narrative, making it a tough thing for anyone but a director of Cronenberg's calibre to tackel. Baruchel will play the timid founder of a financial firm that Packer works at, who also acts as Packer's conscious.
Production is scheduled to start in Toronto on May 24. The film also star Marion Cotillard, Juliette Binoche, Mathieu Amalric, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti and Sarah Gadon.