Variety reports that Vincent Cassel, fresh off Darren Aronofsky’s supernatural drama BLACK SWAN, has been cast in the title role of THE MONK for France’s Diaphana Films and Spain’s Morena Films. Based on Matthew Lewis’ 18th-century Gothic novel, the film will topline Cassel as Capucin Ambrosio, who is undone by temptation brought on by black magic and the devil himself.

Dominik Moll, who first won notice with the 2000 psychological thriller WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY…, will direct the movie, which will co-star HARRY and PAN’S LABYRINTH’s Sergi Lopez, Geraldine Chaplin from THE ORPHANAGE and THE WOLFMAN and Deborah Francois. Art director Antxon Gomez and composer Alberto Iglesias are also part of the MONK team. The $15-million production starts its 12-week shoot in mid-April; a previous 1990 screen version of THE MONK was written and directed by Francisco Lara Polop and starred Paul McGann, BOOK OF BLOOD’s Sophie Ward, Isla Blair and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. Cassel’s previous genre credits include SHEITAN (in which he was the devil), BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF and THE CRIMSON RIVERS.

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