‘Ballad of a Small Player' First Look: Colin Farrell Is a Gambler on the Run in Edward Berger's Latest
Berger recently directed the popular 'Conclave' and first helmed history-making 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, and Tilda Swinton also star in 'Ballad of a Small Player,' which is adapted from Lawrence Osborne's novel. Rowan Joffe ('The American,' 'Brighton Rock') wrote the script.
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The synopsis reads: 'When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.'
Berger, Mike Goodridge, and Matthew James Wilkinson produce the feature, which was announced in April 2024. Berger will next direct Brad Pitt in another novel adaptation, this time for Tim Winton's 'The Riders.' The 'Bones and All' scribe David Kajganich, who's also writing the Zendaya-led Ronnie Spector biopic 'Be My Baby' for A24, will adapt the book. 'The Riders' follows Fred Scully (Pitt), who, after traveling Europe with his wife, Jennifer, and seven-year-old daughter, Billie, purchases a farmhouse in rural Ireland. Jennifer and Billie then return to Australia to finalize their affairs, only for Billie to return to Ireland alone after traveling across the globe, with Jennifer now missing. Fred is left to make sense of his wife's disappearance in a story that takes a mystical turn. A24 landed the film after a competitive situation, as IndieWire can share.
The feature is a reunion for Berger and producer Ridley Scott: Kajganich brought the novel to Scott's Scott Free banner more than a decade ago, while Berger worked with Scott Free TV on AMC's 'The Terror' with creator Kajganich.
Meanwhile, 'Ballad of a Small Player' lead Farrell is starring in 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' opposite Margot Robbie, and might return for a possible 'The Penguin' Season 2. 'The Penguin' recently received a slew of Emmy nominations, although a Season 2 has yet to be set at HBO Max.
Netflix will premiere 'Ballad of a Small Player' later this year. Check out the first look below.
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