Now entering the final stages of pre-production, The Wrap is reporting that Peter Berg’s Boston marathon drama Patriots’ Day has carried out what is surely the last casting spree before filming gets underway, this time adding Michael Beach, Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze to its jam-packed ensemble.
According to the outlet, it is the latter two actors that will be playing the role of the radicalized terrorists (Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev) who brought the city of Boston to a standstill in April of 2013. Beach, on the other hand – best known for his recurring role of Pike in The 100 – is on board to portray Deval Patrick, the “governor of Massachusetts when terrorists struck the annual event in 2013.”
Since Berg and his Lone Survivor cohort Mark Wahlberg hatched Patriots’ Day, there’s been a flurry of activity surrounding the project, which quickly found a home at CBS Films and Lionsgate. Only last week, we learned that Kevin Bacon boarded the film to play the part of FBI Special Agent in Charge, Richard DesLauriers. Elsewhere, Michelle Monaghan will feature as Wahlberg’s significant other, while John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Jimmy O. Yang, Vince Curatola and James Colby round out the starry ensemble.
There’s a role for Mark Wahlberg in Berg’s drama, too, as he will headline as Sgt. Tommy Saunders, a decorated officer in blue who is described as a “composite Boston Police Department officer who leads the manhunt for the chief suspects.” Scott Stuber, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky are among the producing talent steering the project toward its December launch.
CBS Films and Lionsgate are eyeing an awards-friendly December 21 release date for Patriots’ Day, where Peter Berg’s real-life thriller will go toe-to-toe with Ubisoft’s live-action Assassin’s Creed movie.