Will Arnett is joining the cast of Tony Gilroy‘s drama “Behemoth!,” stepping into a lead role following David Harbour‘s exit.
Arnett will now star in the film alongside Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde, with Eva Victor, Matthew Lillard, Margarita Levieva and Alexa Swinton rounding out the buzzy ensemble cast.
On Tuesday, a representative for Searchlight Pictures confirmed to Variety that Harbour stepped back from the project, which began shooting last fall, and that the part had been recast. Sources indicated that the actor was overwhelmed by the series wrap of “Stranger Things” and had exited the production to rest.
Plot details for “Behemoth!” are scarce; however, an early logline briefly states the film follows “a musician from a family of musicians who returns to Los Angeles,” serving as “a love letter to the music of the movies and the people who make it.” Gilroy (“Andor,” “Michael Clayton”) penned the script and directs. He also serves as producer with Sanne Wohlenberg.
The project is inspired by Gilroy’s musical background and his love for the art form. “I was a musician when I was young. I really was serious about it for a while. … When we get to the scoring, it’s my happiest place,” he told Variety in a feature about “Andor” last year. “So I came up with a movie about a symphonic cellist who returns to L.A. to do session work. The whole movie is told through the [music] cues — the cues trigger flashbacks over the last 20 years that tell you why he left and why he’s come back. It’s a movie that surfs on music.
Arnett joins the project following a successful collaboration with Searchlight on the dramedy “Is This Thing On?,” in which he starred as a man who discovers stand-up comedy as a means to navigate the shock of divorce. Arnett co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Mark Chappell and Bradley Cooper, who also directed. The movie, which also stars Laura Dern, Cooper and Andra Day, premiered to positive reviews at the New York Film Festival and opened in theaters in December.
While Arnett is widely known for projects like “Arrested Development,” “BoJack Horseman,” “30 Rock,” “The Morning Show” and “The Lego Movie” franchise, he is currently nominated for a Golden Globe for the hit podcast “SmartLess,” which he co-hosts with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.
Arnett is repped by CAA. Deadline first reported his casting.