You may not recognise the name ‘Ben Mendelsohn’, but you’ll definitely recognise his face. He recently starred as the slimy businessman Daggett in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and he’s also popped up in the trailer for the Derek Cianfrance-directed THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. Mendelsohn obviously knows how to pick his A-List co-stars (Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling) and he’s continuing on this streak by signing his name up for MISSISSIPPI GRIND, opposite BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN star Jake Gyllenhaal.
The film – set to be directed by HALF NELSON partners Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden – focuses on Gyllenhaal as a young, cocky gambler who befriends an older, debt-riddled gentleman, as they decide to travel across the South hoping to change their bad luck.
Gyllenhaal has proved he can tackle the lighter stuff (LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS), alongside his more serious roles in DONNIE DARKO, BROKEBACK MOUTAIN and END OF WATCH. As for Mendelsohn, it’ll be good to see him step forward into a more central role.
Source: Variety
