Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins (King Lear, Thor: Ragnarok), Anson Mount (Star Trek: Discovery, Inhumans), and Abbie Cornish (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) are set to star in The Virtuoso, a noir thriller directed by Nick Stagliano. Stagliano’s Nazz Productions financed and produced the film, which will be presented to buyers at Cannes.

Written by James C. Wolf, with revisions by Stagliano, the story follows a professional assassin (Mount) who must track down and kill his latest target to satisfy an outstanding debt to his mentor (Hopkins). Unlike his other “jobs,” this assignment offers precious little information. He’s given no name or photo, only that his target will be in a rustic diner in a dying town at 5:00 PM. Bound by obligation, the Virtuoso embarks on a manhunt to find his prey and accomplish the mission. Any one of the patrons in the diner could be the mark, even the enigmatic waitress (Cornish) who, even if she’s not the prey, could prove to be a distraction that threatens to derail his task, and endanger his life.

“There have been two independent films that I’ve done [Tully, Cook County] that changed things, professionally, artistically and personally,” said Mount. “I felt that this was the third one I found that was as good. The script for The Virtuoso had such a clean structure, so well done. I got it immediately, and I knew what I wanted to do with the role as soon as I read it. That doesn’t happen a lot.”

“It’s a powerful piece,” said Hopkins. “Nick Stagliano and I are both great fans of film noir, and Nick is a student of that genre. I waited three years to be able to play The Mentor.”

“It is truly humbling to work with a cast of this calibre,” remarked Stagliano. “It was also extremely gratifying to reunite with Fred Fuchs, with whom I co-produced and directed The Florentine along with Francis Ford Coppola under his American Zoetrope banner. Fred brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, as evidenced by his impressive body of work.”

Fred Fuchs and Nancy Stagliano serve as executive producers. Jason Moring of Double Dutch International is handling international rights. The filmmakers handle North American rights with their attorneys at Marc Jacobson P.C.

Hopkins is repped by UTA, Independent Talent Group and Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, Binder & Christopher; Mount by Brookside Artist Management and UTA; Cornish by Authentic Talent.