Deadline is reporting that Roger Donaldson (Species, Tomorrow Never Dies) is set to direct Immortal, a thriller based around the infamous British serial killer Jack the Ripper, which is being produced by XYZ Films and GFC Films.
Scripted by Pete Dowling (Flightplan), Immortal will explore the theory that Jack the Ripper may have fled to America following the Whitechapel murders, and will follow “hot-shot Detective Byrnes and rookie cop James McCafferty, whose morals are conflicting, work together on the hunt for London’s serial killer Jack the Ripper who, some believe, sailed to New York after his London killings suddenly ceased in 1888.
“This is an exciting project that I am enthused to be a part of,” said Donaldson. “Jack the Ripper is a haunting and malevolent historical character, and the stories of what happened to him after the London murders refuse to go away. I am looking forward to working with producer Matthew Metcalfe again, to bring this cerebral and thrilling project to audiences.”
Immortal will mark Donaldson’s first feature since 2014, when he directed Pierce Brosnan in the action film The November Man.
