Liam Neeson has attached himself to the spec “Marlowe” to play the iconic Raymond Chandler character Philip Marlowe. “The Departed” scribe William Monahan penned the script with Nickel City Pictures and Gary Levinson producing.

Based on the book “The Black-Eyed Blonde” by Benjamin Black, the story follows the tough as nails private detective the early 1950s where Marlowe is as restless and lonely as ever, and business is a little slow. That is until a beautiful blonde client comes in and asks Marlowe to find her ex-lover. He soon comes to find out that the ex-lover’s disappearance is just a part of bigger mystery and soon has Marlowe wrapped up with one of the more powerful families in Bay Cities who are willing to go to any length’s to protect their fortune.

“The book by Benjamin Black was a pleasure to adapt, and with Marlowe there’s no chance of even being asked to do it left-handed,” Monahan said. “You have to do Chandler justice, carry a very particular flame, or stay home.”

Marlowe has been one of Hollywood’s favorite tough guys, portrayed nearly a dozen times most famously by Humphrey Bogart in the Howard Hawks thriller “The Big Sleep.” Other actors to tackle the role included Eliot Gould in Robert Altman’s “The Long Good-Bye” and most recently by Robert Mitchum in a remake of “The Big Sleep” in 1978.

Neeson’s history playing tough, menacing characters hopes to draw interest from the major studios given his success rate in similar roles. An auction should be on the horizon soon.

“It’s hard to tell who has the more of a lion’s heart and soul, Philip Marlowe or Liam Neeson. I hope I’ve done the both of them and a picture I could not anticipate more some service,” Monahan said.

Monahan won an Oscar for his work on “The Departed” and has since worked on films with similar tones, including “The Gambler” and “Edge of Darkness.” Monahan’s new production company 63Ltd is under a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures. He is also writing “Evel Knievel.”

Neeson can be seen next in the spy thriller “Felt” as well as “The Commuter.” He also recently joined Viola Davis in Steve McQueen’s heist pic “Widows.” Neeson is repped by CAA, ARG and Stankevich Law. Monahan is repped by CAA, LBI Entertainment and Offer, Weber & Dern.

EXCLUSIVE: Storyboard Media and CAA Media Finance are launching sales on detective thriller Marlowe ahead of the Cannes virtual market, we can reveal.

Taken star Liam Neeson is set to lead the noir thriller about Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe with Oscar-winner Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) directing Oscar-winner William Monahan’s (The Departed) script.

The project has a great premise, one that Neeson could excel in. Based on the novel The Black-Eyed Blonde, the 1950’s-set film will see private detective Marlowe (Neeson) hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress. Initially it looks an open and shut case, but Marlowe soon finds himself in the underbelly of Hollywood’s film industry and unwittingly drawn into the crossfire of a legendary Hollywood actress and her subversive, ambitious daughter.

The project, which was first revealed in 2017, now has new impetus with producers and sellers taking the package to market and a start date lined up for October 2021 with filming due to take place in LA and Europe.

Pic is being produced by Alan Moloney, Gary Levinsohn, Mark Fasano, and Billy Hines along with co-producer Redmond Morris and Storyboard’s Patrick Hibler and Philip Kim. Executive producers are Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard, Patrick Muldoon, Jeff Rice, Steven Sims, Harris Tulchin, Tobias Weymar and Christopher Hines.

Storyboard Media’s Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard will be handling international sales on the film and is introducing it to buyers for Cannes. CAA Media Finance will rep domestic.

The screenplay by Monahan is an adaptation of John Banville’s The Black Eyed Blonde, published in March 2014 and developed for screen with Screen Ireland. The Irish writer wrote the novel under his pseudonym, Benjamin Black, as a continuation of Raymond Chandler’s iconic characters and world.

Jason Bourne and Captain Phillips casting director Dan Hubbard, who recently cast Liam Neeson action pic Memory which is currently filming in Europe, is also aboard.

While Neeson and Monahan worked together on Kingdom Of Heaven, and Neeson and Jordan also worked together on Michael Collins and Breakfast On Pluto, this will be the first project on which all three will collaborate.

EXCLUSIVE: The Suicide Squad breakout Daniela Melchior and The Moodys star François Arnaud are the latest to have joined Liam Neeson movie thriller Marlowe, which is currently filming in Ireland and Spain.

Melchior and Arnaud will play brother and sister, Lynn and Nico Peterson.

In Marlowe, when private detective Philip Marlowe (Neeson) is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress, it looks an open and shut case, but Marlowe soon finds himself in the underbelly of Hollywood’s film industry and unwittingly drawn into the crossfire of a legendary Hollywood actress and her subversive, ambitious daughter.

Also starring are Diana Kruger, Jessica Lange, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alan Cumming, Danny Huston, Ian Hart and Colm Meaney. William Monahan’s (The Departed) script is based on the novel The Black-Eyed Blonde by John Banville, with Oscar winner Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) aboard to direct.

The film is being produced by Alan Moloney, Gary Levinsohn, Philip Kim, Patrick Hibler, Mark Fasano and Billy Hines. Storyboard Media is handling world sales, alongside CAA for domestic.

Canadian actor Arnaud is known for starring in series including Fox’s The Moodys, NBC’s Midnight, Texas and Blindspot, and Showtime’s The Borgias. Recent features include thriller Home and drama The Winter House.

Portuguese actress Melchior, who played supervillain Ratchatcher in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros, will next be seen in action movie Assassin Club alongside Henry Golding, Sam Neill and Noomi Rapace. She is known in Portugal for a handful of hit daytime series including Valor Da Vida, A Herderia, and Massa Fresca.

Arnaud is repped by APA and Lasher Group. Melchior is repped by CAA and Brave Artists Management.

EXCLUSIVE: Open Road Films has acquired North American rights to Marlowe, a noir crime thriller that stars Liam Neeson atop an ensemble that includes Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Danny Huston, Alan Cumming, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian Hart, Colm Meaney, Daniela Melchior and Francois Arnaud. Neil Jordan directed the film from script by The Departed’s William Monahan. The film will be released theatrically December 2 through Open Road/Briarcliff Entertainment.

In what is Neeson’s 100th film, the star plays detective Philip Marlowe, the protagonist from the hardboiled Raymond Chandler mysteries that included The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely and The Long Goodbye. This one is based on author John Banville’s book The Black-Eyed Blonde, an original novel authorized by the Raymond Chandler estate. The action is set in late 1930’s Bay City, centering around the brooding, down on his luck detective Marlowe. He’s hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress (Kruger), daughter of a well-known movie star (Lange). The disappearance is the first twist in a series of bewildering events, and soon Marlowe is embroiled in a deadly investigation and web of lies he’s determined to bring to light.

Open Road/Briarcliff Entertainment CEO Tom Ortenberg made the deal and confirmed it to Deadline.

Ortenberg said he is “very excited to continue working with Liam Neeson on Marlowe and celebrate his 100th movie with him. It’s the type of film we love to be part of: an incredible cast, an Oscar-winning writer and director, and a gripping story that audiences are going to love.”

In re-teaming with Neeson, Jordan said he “can’t imagine Marlowe without Liam Neeson. But then, I can’t imagine Michael Collins without him either. Maybe you need an icon to play an icon — that said, I couldn’t feel more honored to be teaming with Liam on his 100th movie, a project we’re all incredibly proud of.”

Only In Theatres - February 15

MARLOWE, a gripping noir crime thriller set in late 1930’s Los Angeles, centers around a street-wise, down on his luck detective; Philip Marlowe, played by Liam Neeson, who is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger), daughter of a well-known movie star (Jessica Lange). The disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation where everyone involved has something to hide.