Jude Law's Safecracker Dark Comedy Dom Hemingway Rights Picked Up At Fox Searchlight

With the exception of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, Jude Law doesn’t often get to showcase any comedic abilities he has. Of everything that Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects was, a laugh riot wasn’t one of them.

Via press release, Fox Searchlight Pictures announced they’ve acquired the North American rights to the dark comedy crime caper Dom Hemingway. The film was written and directed by Richard Shepard (The Hunting Party), who last directed some recent episodes of Girls.

It stars Law as the titular character, a safecracker known for his profane and dangerous ways. He gets out of prison after a 12-year stint and goes off with a partner, played by Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I), to get what’s owed to him by his boss (Demián Bichir) for not ratting him out while in jail. After a near-death experience, he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, played by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones). But the life of a thief cannot easily be left behind, and Hemingway is soon drawn back in.

“We were so attracted to this film, with its rich array of characters and sharp dialogue,” said Fox Searchlight presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley. “Jude Law's clever and outrageous performance as Dom is completely transformative, unlike anything you have seen him do before.”

Shepard was equally pleased, saying, “From the beginning Jeremy, Jude and I talked about Fox Searchlight distributing Dom Hemingway. They're the best, and you only want the best for your baby. I'm over the moon and under the influence.

Fox Searchlight plans on releasing the film at some point in 2014.

Nick Venable
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Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.