Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator) has officially signed on for the leading role in the upcoming Cold War thriller movie titled, Billion Dollar Spy. He will also be joined by Industry star Harry Lawtey, who has been tapped to portray a CIA agent.

The film will be directed by BAFTA winner Amma Asante, with acclaimed scribe Stephen Gaghan revising the latest script written by Ben August. The project will be based on David E. Hoffman’s award-winning novel of the same name. It is a production by Walden Media and Akiva Goldsman‘s Weed Pictures, with Goldsman, Greg Lessans, Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan, Cher Hawrysh, Ildiko Kemeny, David Minkowski, and Ferenc Szále serving as producers. It will be executive produced by Jane Hooks.

“Walden Media has always sought to tell stories of extraordinary courage, and Billion Dollar Spy is no exception,” Walden Media executive Frank Smith said in a state. “Adolf Tolkachev’s bravery reminds us that true heroism often comes at great personal risk, and his legacy is a testament to the power of standing up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming danger. We are especially thrilled to again work with the great Russell Crowe, who is no stranger to tour-de-force performances.”

What is Billion Dollar Spy about?

“Set against the high-stakes backdrop of the late Cold War, Billion Dollar Spy follows Adolf Tolkachev (Crowe), an ordinary man, 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,” reads the official synopsis. “Finally finding an ally in CIA agent Tom Lenihan (Lawtey), Tolkachev was able to fundamentally 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.”

Crowe was most recently seen in last year’s Kraven the Hunter with Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He will next be seen in the sports drama movie Beast in Me, the crime drama American Son, the historical thriller Nuremberg, and the period epic The Weight. At the moment, the acclaimed actor is currently in production for the action thriller Bear Country.

(Source: Deadline)