The Americans director Chris Long is set to helm the upcoming adaptation of the thriller and he has now chosen his leads.
Deadline has unveiled that Chris Long, whose credits include the FX drama series, The Americans, will be helming the adaptation of The Up and Comer. It has also been announced that Nate Mann of Masters of the Air, Shay Mitchell, from Pretty Little Liars, and Tony Award winner Andrew Burnap, known for The Inheritance, have all signed on to star in the thriller.
The synopsis, per Deadline, reads,
“Based on the novel from New York Times bestseller Howard Roughan, who adapted the screenplay, the film delves into the seemingly perfect life of Philip Randall (Mann), a brilliant attorney poised to become the youngest partner at his prestigious firm. Philip’s idyllic world begins to unravel when a former prep school classmate (Burnap) threatens to reveal a devastating secret involving another woman (Mitchell). Suddenly caught in a high-stakes game of blackmail, murder and revenge, he’s forced to risk everything, only to face the greatest danger of all — winning.”
Long glowed about the cast he’s assembled for this project, “Nate, Shay and Andrew are each such incredible talents, and I’m thrilled to be bringing Howard’s stunning script to life with them.” Producers of the film include Jeremy Alter, Roughan, Gary B. Goldman, and Long. Sheila Jaffe and Bryan Riley oversaw casting.
Andrew Burnap can also be seen in the upcoming A24 psychological horror film The Front Room with Brandy Norwood. Based on a short story by Susan Hill, The Front Room has the following synopsis: Everything goes to hell for newly-pregnant Belinda (Brandy) after her mother-in-law (Kathryn Hunter) moves in. As the diabolical guest tries to get her claws on the child, Belinda must draw the line somewhere… If you would like to read the short story source material, it can be found in Hill’s collection The Travelling Bag and Other Ghostly Stories. Copies can be purchased at THIS LINK.
The Front Room is being produced by A24, along with Lucan Toh, Babak Anvari, and Bryan Sonderman of Two & Two Pictures, as well as Julia Oh and David Hinojosa of 2AM. A24 is financing the project and will be handling the worldwide theatrical release. The film has received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association ratings board for language, some violent/disturbing content, brief sexuality and nudity.