Aaron Sorkin is preparing to make his directorial debut with Molly's Game and already has Jessica Chastain lined up to star. Now he's found her a great co-star in the shape of Idris Elba, who is in talks.
Producer Mark Gordon, who nabbed the rights to the book in the first place, is on board for this one alongside former Sony boss Amy Pascal. Molly's Game, subtitled From Hollywood’s Elite To Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure In The World Of Underground Poker, is the memoir of Molly Bloom, whose story is a fascinating one. A world-class skier since she could walk, she became a nationally-ranked business mogul at 21 while still excelling in college. She just missed out on joining the Olympic team upon graduating and took a year off to live in Los Angeles, choosing the unlikely path of waitressing. Thanks to her business acumen, she ended up making millions by running the world’s most exclusive high stakes poker game for eight years before the FBI came calling.
“The casting of Jessica and Idris in the two lead roles is any filmmaker’s dream come true,” Sorkin tells Variety. “They’re two of the greatest actors of their generation, paired for the first time, and their chemistry will be electric.”
Elba, on our screens now in Bastille Day, is at work on The Dark Tower and will be seen as the dangerous Krall in Star Trek Beyond, due July 22.