Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in ‘The Interpreter’, an upcoming war movie from director Guy Ritchie. Ritchie is known for writing and directing a number of British crime films. In 2009 and 2011, he helmed the box office hits Sherlock Holmes and its sequel ‘Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows’, starring Robert Downey Jr, followed by ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ and a live-action adaptation of ‘Aladdin’. Most recently, he directed Jason Statham in 2021’s ‘Wrath of Man’.
Now, Ritchie is teaming up with Gyllenhaal for ‘The Interpreter’, Deadline confirms. The film will follow Sergeant John Kinley and his interpreter, Ahmed, whose unit is ambushed in Afghanistan. Ritchie was reportedly inspired to tell the story after hearing the real-life experiences of veterans and their interpreters. In addition to directing, Ritchie co-wrote the script with ‘Wrath of Man’ and ‘The Gentlemen’ collaborators, Marn Davies and Ivan Atkinson.
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‘The Interpreter’ marks a return to the war film genre for Gyllenhaal. The in-demand actor previously starred in Jarhead in 2005, in which he plays a Marine during the Gulf War. In 2009’s ‘Brothers,’ Gyllenhaal co-stars as the brother of an Afghanistan War vet struggling with PTSD. The actor is also set to star in the upcoming war drama, ‘Combat Control’. Now Gyllenhaal has yet another war film lined up, this one focusing on the struggles and unique sacrifices of wartime interpreters.
Per the synopsis, Gyllenhaal will play Sergeant John Kinley who on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan is teamed with local interpreter Ahmed to survey the region. When their unit is ambushed on patrol, Kinley and Ahmed are the only survivors. With enemy combatants in pursuit, Ahmed risks his own life to carry an injured Kinley across miles of grueling terrain to safety. Back on US soil, Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given passage to America as promised. Determined to protect his friend and repay his debt, Kinley returns to the warzone to retrieve Ahmed and his family before the local militias reach them first. Shooting for ‘The Interpreter’ is scheduled to begin in January 2022. -Deadline
