Walken to play mystical pet shop owner in first collaboration for the actors which stars Spacey as a businessman who suffers unfortunate accident

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Christopher Walken is to star alongside Kevin Spacey in ambitious comedy Nine Lives, according to Deadline.

The Oscar-winning star of The Deer Hunter will be joining the film which stars Spacey as a workaholic businessman who suffers an accident that leaves him trapped in the body of a cat. Walken will play Felix Grant, a mystical pet shop owner who Spacey turns to for help.

Kevin Spacey falls on feet with feline body-swap comedy Nine Lives Read more

It will be directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, known for the Men in Black trilogy but also The Addams Family and Get Shorty. He’s referred to it as a “funny, emotional, commercial comedy”. There’s still no confirmation on whether the film will be a full body-swap comedy, meaning that Spacey’s body will also be inhabited by a cat.

Walken was last seen as Captain Hook in NBC’s televised Peter Pan Live and he’ll next be in Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. Spacey’s next big screen outing will see him returning to the Oval Office in Elvis & Nixon as Richard Nixon.

The news is also accompanied by a report that Walken is joining the cast of Eddie the Eagle, the true story of Olympic ski jumper Michael Edwards, alongside Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman. Walken will play a mentor role.