Ralph Fiennes, Viggo Mortensen, Katherine Langford Cast in "Embers"

Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) are leading cast in Oscar winner István Szabó’s (Mephisto) period drama "Embers," which has begun filming in Budapest, Hungary.

The cast in the prestige project also includes Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why), Louis Hofmann (All The Light We Cannot See), Gijs Blom (The Kollective), Evelyne Brochu (French Girl), and Jonah Russell (Lady Chatterly’s Lover).

Adapted by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liasons) from Sándor Márai’s acclaimed novel, the movie reunites Hungarian auteur Szabó’ with his Sunshine (and Being Julia) producer Robert Lantos and that film’s star, Fiennes.

It also marks a reunion between Lantos and Eastern Promises star Mortensen.

The synopsis reads: “Embers reconnects once inseparable friends, Henrik (Fiennes) and Konrad (Mortensen), decades after Konrad’s mysterious disappearance and uncovers over the course of one evening the secret that tore them apart—and the woman at the center of it.”

Embankment Films will be launching sales on the production ahead of the Cannes market. Lantos produces for Serendipity Point Films and Tibor Krsko for HGO Films.

Hampton first adapted Márai’s novel as a stage play in 2006. Following its run on London’s West End, he is then said by the producers to have delivered a screen draft to Szabó with a single message, “In hope”.

The film is Szabó’s first in six years and only his second since 2012. It was conceived by the filmmaker with Lantos and Fiennes in mind as collaborators.

Joining Szabó in the crew are Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), production designer Attila F. Kovacs (Sunshine), cinematographer Dániel Garas (Rise Of The Raven), costume designer Bea Merkovits (Rise Of The Raven) and editor David Wharnsby (Away From Her). The film was cast by Academy Award nominee Nina Gold (Hamnet).

Ari Lantos (Remember) is also a producer, and Laura Lanktree (Crimes Of The Future) is co-producer.

Executive producers include Jan Mojto, Atom Egoyan, Tim Haslam, and Andrea Calderwood, with Hampton and Jeff Sackman as co-executive producers.

"Embers" is a Serendipity Point Films, HGO Films, Potboiler Productions co-production.

It is produced with the support of MTVA, Beta Film, RAI Cinema, Bell Media, and CBC Films.