‘Reykjavik’: Jeff Daniels to Play U.S. President Ronald Reagan in New Cold War Movie!!

A trio of big-name actors are about to tackle one of the most consequential events of the Cold War. Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, and J.K. Simmons are set to topline the upcoming film Reykjavik,according to Deadline. The film will chronicle the story of the Reykjavik Summit, a meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that took place in Iceland at the height of the Cold War and helped pave the way for future agreements between the countries.

Exact plot points remain hidden, but the film “takes place at the most dangerous point of the Cold War, watching as political enemies Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Iceland over one long, tense weekend to decide if there will be peace or war in the world,” according to Reykjavik’s logline. Daniels will star in the film as Reagan, while Harris will star alongside him as Gorbachev. Simmons will portray George Schultz, the United States Secretary of State at the time. No other casting has been announced yet.

Reykjavik will be directed by Michael Russell Gunn in his feature directorial debut, and he also penned the screenplay. The film comes from production company SK Global, which previously worked with Gunn on 2022’s highly acclaimed Netflix limited series Thai Cave Rescue, for which Gunn served as the creator and showrunner. Gunn is also producing the film alongside John Logan Pierson. Filming on Reykjavik is reportedly getting underway this October at Höfði House, where the actual meeting occurred.

Daniels, Harris, and Simmons are Accomplished Actors

Reykjavik has three highly accomplished actors who will be in front of the camera. Daniels‘ career spans four decades, and he is no stranger to political dramas, having had major roles in projects like The Newsroom, which garnered him a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as The Looming Tower and The Comey Project. Outside of political projects, Daniels is best known for his role in 1990s classics like Speed, Dumb and Dumber, and Gettysburg. He most recently starred in the Netflix series A Man in Full.

Harris is best known for his role in three acclaimed TV shows: The Crown, Mad Men, and Chernobyl. The latter two earned him a heap of awards and nominations, and his role as a frustrated Soviet scientist in Chernobyl will likely help him form his character in Reykjavik. Simmons is also known for his long film career, particularly bursting onto the scene for his portrayal of the hot-headed newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man films, for which he reprised the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His portrayal of an angry but well-intentioned band instructor in 2015’s Whiplash garnered critical acclaim and won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.