Dreamboat British actor Dominic Cooper (MAMMA MIA!, AN EDUCATION) steps up to leading man stature in THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE, a harrowing and unsettling portrait of the consequences of complete and corruptible power. The film tells the true and truly sickening story of Uday Hussein, the power-mad and sadistic son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein whose personal reign of terror gave him free reign to kill, rape and maim at will. In order to protect his personal security, he forces a former classmate named Latif Yahia, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Uday, to become his public stand-in. While Latif, an honorable man, tries to refuse, he and his family are threatened with physical violence if he does not agree. In Hussein’s Iraq, a request is a command, so Latif must stomach his pride and stifle his sense of decency to do the will of the Hussein family to protect his loved ones. Among the film’s most notable features is that Cooper plays both roles, alternating between the “Black Prince” and a man of moral conscience, in a performance that may well be remembered come awards season. The film, which made its international debut at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, opens in theaters in North America via Herrick Entertainment and Lionsgate on Friday, July 29.
The film is directed by Lee Tamahori, a New Zealand director who came to fame two decades ago with his aboriginal film ONCE WERE WARRIORS. Since making his mark with that prestigious film, Tamahori followed the path of many international directors and made his way to Hollywood, where he directed the James Bond thriller DIE ANOTHER DAY and the political actioner XXX: STATE OF THE UNION. This film, steeped in psychological one-upmanship and graphic violence, marks a return to form for the director, who brings a heart-stopping authenticity to the story while never being afraid of striking a melodramatic chord when necessary. The film was written by Michael Thomas (BACKBEAT, SCANDAL) and produced by Dutch-based Staccato Entertainment in association with FIP Malta Ltd., Film Finance VI, Tulchin Entertainment and Foreign Media. To learn more, visit: http://www.thedevilsdoublefilm.com/index2.html