The film will be directed by novelist-turned-filmmaker Michael Idov and scripted by Michael and Lily Idov, the writing duo behind the German spy series hit Deutschland 89 and the recent Cannes title Leto.

In a compelling casting combo, Michael C. Hall has joined Noomi Rapace and Past Lives breakout Teo Yoo in the upcoming espionage action thriller Stratagem.

The film will be directed by novelist turned filmmaker Michael Idov (The Humorist, Jetlag) and scripted by Michael and Lily Idov, the writing duo behind the German spy series hit Deutschland 89 and the recent Cannes title Leto, also starring Yoo. It is being produced by Oscar-nominee David Lancaster (Whiplash, Drive) and Matt Leipzig (I See You, Joyland).

Production on Strategem is set to begin at the start of 2026. At the ongoing American Film Market in Los Angeles, Highland Film Group is handling international sales, while CAA Media Finance is repping U.S. rights.

Hall is, of course, best known for his acclaimed performances as the titular antihero of Showtime’s Dexter and as David Fisher in HBO’s Six Feet Under — having earned a Golden Globe, three SAG Awards and six Emmy nominations for the parts — as well as his recent turns in Dexter: New Blood, Dexter: Resurrection and Dexter: Original Sin, and film roles in Cold in July, Game Night, Kill Your Darlings and Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.

In response to Hall’s casting, Lancaster said in a statement: “MCH! Wow. My kids are obsessed! So cool to have him in this badass thriller!”

Set at an elite cybersecurity summit high in the Swiss Alps, Stratagem follows CIA agent Stella Turner (Rapace) as she goes undercover to seduce and recruit brilliant but mysterious tech prodigy Daniel Sim (Yoo), whose expertise may be the only way to prevent a devastating leak of U.S. defense secrets. But as their dangerous cat-and-mouse game unfolds, Stella discovers that Daniel is far from the pawn she imagined — he’s a manipulator with his own hidden agenda, and their mutual deception spirals into a high-stakes battle of intellect, desire and survival on a global scale.

The film is executive produced by Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier for Highland Film Group and Julie Kroll.

Highland Film Group’s current slate features several other star-driven thrillers, including the cyber-heist drama LifeHack from producer Timur Bekmambetov; Justin Chadwick’s espionage thriller The Mark, starring Jessica Alba, Tom Hopper and Angus Sampson; Brad Anderson’s psychological thriller Moral Capacity with Dacre Montgomery, Diane Lane, Sofia Boutella and Tim Robbins; Martin Campbell’s action thriller Just Play Dead starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green; Adrian Grunberg’s Protector with Milla Jovovich; and the action-crime drama The Deputy featuring Duke Nicholson, William H. Macy, Tiffany Haddish and Stephen Dorff.

By Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter