Johnny Flynn is set to take on the lead role in the survival-thriller A Prayer for the Dying . The film will be written and directed by Dara Van Dusen (Significant Others) and is based on Stewart O’Nan’s novel of the same name. Flynn, known for his recent performance in Netflix’s Ripley , will play Jacob Hansen, a sheriff responsible for the safety of a town hit by a natural disaster.
Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated actor John C. Reilley(Guardians of the Galaxy) will also join Flynn as one of the main characters in the upcoming film and play the role of the town’s doctor. As far as the plot goes, A Prayer for the Dying is set in 1870 in the small town of Friendship in Wisconsin which is still suffering from the repercussions of the recent Civil War. As the sheriff’s town faces a deadly threat, he is forced to choose between saving his family and defending the community that gave him a second chance at life.
The film is currently in production outside Bratislava, Slovakia, and features leading Scandinavian actors Kristine Kujath Thorp (Ninjababy) and Gustav Lindh (The Northman). A Prayer for the Dying will be Van Dusen’s first feature-length film after her three shorts including Significant Others, which made its way to Cannes Official Selection. A Prayer for the Dying is produced by Dyveke Bjørkly Graver and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures.
Johnny Flynn Believes Van Dusen’s Adaptation of the Novel Is Extremely Powerful
Dara Van Dusen hails from New York and is currently working as a writer and director in Oslo, Norway. She has several development and production grants from the Norwegian Film Institute under her belt. Her most recent short, The Blind Man was an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s short story and was nominated for Best Nordic Short along with being selected in the Nordic Panorama.
Considering her experience, it’s no surprise that Johnny Flynn is all praises for the director. As reported by Variety, the actor is delighted to be part of what he calls an “amazing project with such wonderful, talented people.” Flynn added that Van Dusen’s adaptation of O’Nan’s intense novel is a “thing of delicate, eerie beauty.” The Ripley star claims that while the dark and foreboding story of the film is set in the past, it will be extremely relevant to the times we live in.
As for the director herself, she has opened up about how surreal the experience has been. She has expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to adapt and direct her favorite novel and bring it to life along with such a talented cast. “Johnny and John are just incredible. It’s all a dream,” added Van Dusen.
A Prayer for the Dying began production in Summer 2024. A release date for the film has not been announced yet.
