Michelle Williams in Talks to Join Benedict Cumberbatch, Jake Gyllenhaal in Luca Guadagnino’s Next Movie (Exclusive)

Four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams is in talks to play the female lead alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Benedict Cumberbatch in Luca Guadagnino’s LET IT FALL BACK, a project formerly known as Rio, the Tracking Board has learned.

Studiocanal is financing and producing the Steven Knight-scripted film, which follows a financial reporter (Gyllenhaal) who travels to Rio de Janeiro to visit a wealthy friend (Cumberbatch), only to get sucked into a plot to fake his friend’s death.

Details of Williams’ role are being kept under wraps, and while the actress’ deal hasn’t closed yet, Let It Fall Back is expected to serve as a reunion between her and Gyllenhaal, who co-starred in Brokeback Mountain together. She has yet to work with Cumberbatch, however.

Gyllenhaal and Cumberbatch will each produce via their respective banners, Nine Stories Productions and Sunny March, while Adam Ackland and Riva Marker will also produce.

Studiocanal began presenting the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and production is slated to start next year, once Williams wraps Sony’s Venom, which pairs the actress with Tom Hardy.

Williams was last seen in the Best Picture nominee Manchester by the Sea and Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck, which is currently in theaters. She’s about to take part in reshoots for Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, which is poised for a major rebound this awards season, and she next stars opposite Hugh Jackman in the musical The Greatest Showman. Both films could thrust her back into the Oscar race, which Williams is no stranger to.

The actress has racked up four Oscar nominations for her work in Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week With Marilyn and Manchester by the Sea, and she most recently wrapped the Amy Schumer movie I Feel Pretty. Williams is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Bloom Hergott.

 Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief