Stellan Skarsgard (“Dune,” “Chernobyl”), Andrea Riseborough (“Birdman,” “ZeroZeroZero”) and Gustaf Skarsgard (“Vikings,” “Westworld”) have joined the cast of psychological crime drama “What Remains.”
The English-language film, which begins shooting next month in Finland, is the feature directorial debut of Huang Ran, a mainland Chinese artist-turned-filmmaker. His previous “The Administration of Glory” debuted in the short film competition at Cannes in 2014. The script of “What Remains” was written by Megan Everett Skarsgard.
In addition to the stellar cast, the film has attracted a world-class production crew. This includes cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt (“Emman, “First Cow”) and production designer Mikael Varhelyi (“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, “The 12th Man”).
“What Remains” is being produced by Film Service Finland and Huang through his production company Fake Action Truth, with financing from iQIYI, a leading video streaming platform in China. It has additional financial support from Business Finland and Art Algorithm Capital, an Asia-based media and art investment fund.
CAA Media Finance arranged the film’s financing and represents the North American distribution rights. The picture will be launched at this week’s virtual American Film Market (AFM).
Huang was educated at Birmingham University and Goldsmith’s College in the U.K. and has enjoyed international success working with video, painting, installation and performance. His first solo exhibition, “An Experience Shaped by An Experience I Never Experienced,” was reported to be a “deconstruction of the notion and mechanisms of history, the sublimation of violence and the expression of creative anxiety.”
His short film developed themes of deception, theft and violation, both sacred and otherwise, and examined artistic practice and issues of historical credibility. In 2015 it earned Huang the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Huang is represented by CAA; Gustaf Skarsgard by Gersh, Agentfirman and MGMT Entertainment; Riseborough by CAA, Independent Talent Group and Untitled Entertainment; and Stellan Skarsgard by CAA and Curtis Brown.