Jason Isaacs and 'Death of Stalin' Writer Team on a Dark World War II Satire

2 weeks ago 14

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Jason Isaacs has always been a versatile presence on-screen, from the fantastical wizarding world of Harry Potter to the devilish drama of The White Lotus. In 2017, however, he got to show off his sharp yet subtle comedic chops in the darkly comedic political satire, The Death of Stalin. As the leader of the Red Army, Georgy Zhurkov, he was a bumbling contender for the role of the next leader of the Soviet Union, finding himself woefully unprepared for life after Joseph Stalin and the political backstabbing that would ensue. Hailing from director and Veep creator Armando Iannucci, the film was hailed as a riotous and slightly frightening peek at the high-stakes jockeying for power that leaves an entire country in the balance.

Now, nine years later, Isaacs is about to reunite with one of the scribes who helped make that satire possible. According to a new report, he's been tapped to join the cast of the new World War II dark comedy, Bad Major, from The Death of Stalin co-writer Peter Fellows. The film will mark Fellows' feature directorial debut after previously having worked under Iannucci on multiple projects, also including Veep and Avenue 5. The Emmy-nominated Isaacs isn't the only award-worthy star attached either, as Tony nominee Josh Gad, Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga, Tony winner Derek Jacobi, and BAFTA nominee Rosie Jones were also cast.

Based on the novella The Tót Family by acclaimed Hungarian writer István Örkény, Bad Major takes place in the summer of 1942, with the Second Great War raging. Instead of following the soldiers fighting on the front lines, it centers on the concerned family of a boy sent to the battlefield. To ensure his safety, they invite his volatile commanding officer into their rural home, only to quickly become guests in their own house. He asserts his authority over them, imposing ridiculous and obsessive rules that push them all to their breaking point. Yet, the family continues to endure, facing devastating extremes and psychological warfare for the sake of their loved one. As dark as the premise sounds, Fellows ensured in an official statement that it won't be short on comedy and real emotional heft, thanks in part to its talented cast.

“I’m thrilled to be making Bad Major with this fantastic ensemble of brilliantly funny, powerful actors. Based on István Örkény’s masterpiece of psychological warfare, family dynamics and cultural conditioning, my adaptation will ground these themes within a properly funny, heart-wrenching film about desperation, loss and the absurd lengths to which human beings will go to in order to protect the ones they love.”