Christoph Waltz to Play Mikhail Gorbachev In 'Reykjavik'

Oddly unable to find strong roles outside of Quentin Tarantino films, Christoph Waltz may have just received one of his juiciest yet as the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Mike Newell's Reykjavik. With Michael Douglas on board as ex-president Ronald Reagan, the film, from a script by Kevin Hood (Becoming Jane), tells the story of the famous meeting in Iceland's capital city (hence the title Reykjavik) between the two leaders that signaled the end of the Cold War. "I feel very fortunate to have two such masters to portray the men who brought about the end of the third great war of the 20th century," Newell said.

Formerly scheduled for Ridley Scott, the choice of Mike Newell as director provides a bit of unease to the project -- his track record more than a little all-over-the-place as of late (Great Expectations, Prince of Persia, Love in the Time of Cholera, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). But with actors like Waltz and Douglas, I'm sure things can't go too wrong. Reykjavik will begin shooting next March under Headline Pictures, Scott Free Productions, Participant Media and Mark Sennet Productions. [via Variety]