The Cold War thriller Billion Dollar Spy has cast Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher) in a leading role opposite Russell Crowe (Gladiator) and Harry Lawtey (Joker: Folie à Deux).
Adapted from the book by David E. Hoffman, Billion Dollar Spy is based on the true story of Adolf Tolkachev, “an ordinary man whose extraordinary bravery made him the Pentagon’s most valuable spy.” Fitzgerald will play Mae Lenihan, wife of CIA agent Tom Lenihan (Lawtey), the handler of Crowe’s Russian double agent.
Billion Dollar Spy follows “Tolkachev (Crowe), as he risks everything to pass thousands of pages of top-secret Soviet intelligence to the United States. Despite repeated rejections by a wary CIA, Tolkachev persisted, embodying the courage to stand against a regime that betrayed its own people. Finally finding an ally in CIA agent Tom Lenihan (Lawtey), Tolkachev was able to shift the balance of power, proving that true patriotism lies not in blind allegiance, but in the willingness to challenge a government when it strays from its ideals. In an era when resistance and bravery are more relevant than ever, his story resonates deeply today.”
The film will be directed by Amma Asante (A United Kingdom) from a script written by Stephen Gaghan and Ben August. Producing are Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan, and Cher Hawrysh of Walden Media with Akiva Goldsman and Greg Lessans of Weed Road Pictures.
Fitzgerland is most known for her Critics Choice nominated role in The Fall of House Usher and the first season of Reacher. She’ll be seen next in the Netflix medical drama series Pulse, which premieres on April 3rd.
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