Barry Keoghan in the title role of a film about the last days of Saddam Hussein

undefined undefined 19 février 2024 undefined 17h52

undefined undefined 20 février 2024 undefined 09h55

The Editor

© Barry Keoghan - lev radin - Shutterstock

Derived from the bestseller "The Prisoner in His Palace" by Will Bardenwerper, "Amo Saddam" will explore the life of the fifth Iraqi president in the months leading up to his execution. The film will be directed by Johan Renck.

Barry Keoghan is popping up everywhere these days! You can't scroll through your social media feed without seeing him, or watch a film festival without spotting him confidently striding along the red carpet in a matching suit. He's currently playing a soldier in the hot new Apple TV+ series, "Masters of the Air", and charming audiences as a student in the steamy setting of Saltburn. Hollywood is buzzing with excitement over him! And now, this talented Irish lad is gearing up to portray yet another soldier in the upcoming film, "Amo Saddam", directed by the brilliant Johan Renck, known for his work on the acclaimed series "Chernobyl". How exciting!


An actor who can interpret complex characters

Michael Parets didn't hide his excitement in the Hollywood Reporter: as a co-producer of the film, he is thrilled to have the current star as the lead. "Barry has proven time and time again that he is an actor capable of interpreting very complex characters and we couldn't be happier to have him as the main actor." For now, the role of Saddam Hussein is still up for grabs, and John Renck has told the magazine that he is looking for a "very good actor from the region, who speaks Arabic".  

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Barry Keoghan (@keoghan92)


A film about prison, war, and horror

John Renck, on the other hand, told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to tell the leader's story without the « typical war movie tropes ». Particularly unique, the film will not fit into just one genre but into several, a blend of « prison movie, war movie, and horror movie ».

The story takes place at Camp Victory, an American base used during the last American war in Iraq starting from 2003. Just a reminder, on March 20, 2003, a coalition of 34 countries invaded Iraq, despite the UN's prohibition, based on accusations by the United States that Iraq possessed banned weapons of mass destruction. The operation lasted 7 years, Saddam Hussein fell in the first year, in April 2003, and was executed at the end of 2006.