Ben McKenzie Joins ‘The Swimmer’ Cast

Southland
Ben McKenzie and Shawn Hatosy in Southland (Photo Credit: TNT)

Ben McKenzie – terrific in the recently canceled series Southland – has been confirmed to star in The Swimmer, set up with BiFrost Pictures. BiFrost will finance and produce the dramatic film which Richard L Fox is directing. Bard Ivar Engelsas penned the script, and Norwegian actors Agnes Kittelsen and Kristoffer Joner are co-starring.

Filming’s expected to take place next summer in Northern Norway.

“It’s a modern story, but timeless as well,” said McKenzie. “Bard’s script really captivated me: a tortured man risking it all in a battle against nature. It’s themes evoke the spirit of Hemingway and London, and I couldn’t be more excited to shoot in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Norway.”

BiFrost is also set to produce and finance Paul Bettany’s directorial debut, Shelter, starring Bettany’s wife (Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly) and Anthony Mackie (currently busy working on Guardians of the Galaxy).

The Plot:

The film centers on an American extreme swimmer (McKenzie) who embarks on a mission to conquer one of the wildest rivers in Norway – his personal Mt. Everest. But his journey proves that his true conquest is far more daunting than his swim; as he is faced to confront his inner demons and reconcile his past.