Contreras to Pen Warner Bros.’ Historical Thriller “Principia”

Christian Contreras has landed a pen project.

Warner Bros. has acquired Principia, a pitch that will be scripted by the Latino actor/screenwriter, with David Goyer producing through his Phantom Four Productions banner with Kevin Turen.

Christian Contreras

The logline is being kept under wraps, but the project is based on actual events.

A high-concept historical thriller in the vein of The Prestige, Principia involves Isaac Newton and the hunt for a notorious criminal.

Contreras, an American who lives in London and has acted in Fury, The Fifth Estate and Zero Dark Thirty, just came to Hollywood a couple of weeks ago with an idea he wanted to write. He signed with WME and Grandview Entertainment, and Goyer heard the pitch late last week and set it up with Warner Bros that night.

Brühl to Star Opposite Emma Watson in the Political Thriller “Colonia”

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.

Daniel Bruhl

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.

Brühl Signs with Anonymous Content

It looks like you’ll be seeing more of Daniel Brühl in Hollywood films…

The 35-year-old half-Spanish actor has signed with talent management agency Anonymous Content.

Daniel Brühl

Brühl is currently earning rave reviews for his starring role in Ron Howard’s Formula One period piece Rush, in which he plays Austrian driver Niki Lauda, the fierce rival of Chris Hemsworth’s brash British racer, James Hunt.

In October, Bruhl will portray another living person, the former Wikileaks spokesperson Daniel Domscheit-Berg, in DreamWorks‘ The Fifth Estate.

Bruhl’s other English-language credits include Inglorious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum and 2 Days in Paris.

He recently wrapped the thriller A Most Wanted Man, starring opposite Phillip Seymour Hoffman.