Toronto International Film Festival: Two-Time Oscar Nominee Tom Wilkinson Joins Thriller FELONY Opposite Joel Edgerton

Two-time Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson (upcoming THE LONE RANGER, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, MICHAEL CLAYTON) joins the thriller FELONY opposite the previously cast male lead Joel Edgerton (upcoming ZERO DARK THIRTY, THE GREAT GATSBY), it was announced by The Solution Entertainment Group’s (“The Solution”) founders and partners, Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel, and producers Rosemary Blight of Goalpost Pictures Australia and Edgerton for Blue-Tongue Films.

The feature film, set to start lensing in late October, will be directed by Matthew Saville (NOISE) from a script by Edgerton.

The Solution arranged the financing for the film, with Wilson and Nestel serving as executive producers. The company is representing the international rights to the film and is actively selling the title at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.

FELONY will be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Roadshow Films. CAA is handling US rights.

Driving home after a celebration drink with his team after the long waited bust of a major gang, a decorated police officer (Edgerton) runs a young cyclist off the road.  As he gives CPR to the child, fellow officers arrive to take his statement.  In a split second decision he tells them a lie about the accident which will change all their lives in this edge of your seat thriller.

Wilkinson will play Detective Carl Summer, the lead police investigator who arrives on the scene following the accident.

“Tom Wilkinson is one of the most versatile actors around who inhabits every character he plays with an incredible energy and credibility. He is the ideal choice to co-star with Joel Edgerton in this tense and riveting thriller and will certainly drive buyers’ attention to this project in Toronto,” said Wilson.

“We had long hoped that Tom would agree to this role. We are thrilled an actor of his intelligence and caliber is on board for this exciting film,” said Blight.

Wilkinson was seen earlier this year in the worldwide box office sensation, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL opposite Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards, for his supporting role in MICHAEL CLAYTON and lead performance for IN THE BEDROOM. His other recent credits include his Emmy nominated performance as Joe Kennedy on the TV mini-series “The Kennedys,” THE GREEN HORNET and THE GHOST WRITER. He next stars in Gore Verbinski’s THE LONE RANGER, with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, set for release in 2013 through Disney.

Edgerton can currently be seen in theatres in Disney’s THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN opposite Jennifer Garner and will next appear in the highly anticipated ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and co-starring Jessica Chastain and Chris Pratt set for release through Columbia Pictures in December as well as Baz Luhrmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2013.

Producer Rosemary Blight of Goalpost Pictures most recently produced musical comedy THE SAPPHIRES, directed by Wayne Blair and starring Chris Dowd, Deborah Mailman and Jessica Mauboy, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2012 and will be released in the US through The Weinstein Company.  Other credits include Julien Temple’s THE ETERNITY MAN and INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS starring Brenda Blethyn and directed by Cherie Nowlan, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by Warner Independent Pictures in the US. Rosemary was Executive Producer of THE TREE directed by Julie Bertuccelli and starring Charlotte Gainsbourg which was closing night film of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.