Usually to be found brooding in the Divergent films, Theo James is looking to extend his reach further beyond the dystopian stories. He's now in talks to join Ben Kingsley in Backstabbing For Beginners.
Per Fly is directing this one, which was inspired by Michael Soussan's memoir Backstabbing For Beginners: My Crash Course In International Diplomacy. If he does end up in the role (which Josh Hutcherson had originally been considering) James will be Michael, an idealistic young man who scores a dream job as co-ordinator on the UN's Oil for Food program. But his dream might well be a nightmare, as he's flung into the complicated world of post-war Iraq where government agents and power-hungry countries are competing for the oil reserves.
He's soon worried that there's a conspiracy reaching the highest levels, and decides he has to expose it, even if it means his life, and that of his mentor (Kingsley) will be put on the line.
With Daniel Pyne as his co-writer, Fly should be starting the cameras rolling soon. As for James, he'll also be seen in Jim Sheridan's Secret Scripture and Michael McDonagh's War On Everyone. Then there's the new Underworld film, and the remaining two Divergent movies, the latest of which, Allegiant, arrives here on March 11.