Daniel Brühl has landed a (politically) thrilling role…

The 36-year-old half-Spanish actor, who earned his first-ever SAG Award nomination last December, will star opposite Emma Watson in the thriller Colonia.

Directed by German helmer Florian Gallenberger, who previously directed Brühl in the feature films Honolulu and City Of War: The Story of John Rabe, Colonia is inspired by true events.

The film centers on a young couple who become entangled in the Chilean military coup of 1973. Daniel (Bruhl) is abducted by Pinochet’s secret police and Lena (Watson) tracks him to a sealed-off area in the south of the country called Colonia Dignidad. The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by a lay preacher, but is in fact a place from which no one has ever escaped. In order to find her beloved, Lena decides to join the cult.

Principal photography is set to begin shortly on Colonia. Shooting will take place in Luxembourg, Munich, Berlin and South America until the end of the year.

Brühl earned multiple award nominations for his performance as former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda in the Ron Howard biographical film Rush. His other credits include 7 Days in Havana, Inglourious Basterds and The Fifth Estate.