Domhnall Gleeson Joins Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain Of Youth’ At Apple And Skydance

EXCLUSIVE: Domhnall Gleeson has joined the cast of Apple‘s Fountain of Youth, a new feature film based on an original idea that will be directed by Guy Ritchie, and hails from Skydance Media. Also starring John Krasinski and Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman, the film will be produced for Apple by Skydance, Vinson Films and Project X Entertainment.

Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.

Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films as will Project X Entertainment, with Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Paul Neinstein producing for the company. Ritchie & Ivan Atkinson and Jake Myers also are producing with Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella) serving as executive producers.

Fountain of Youth has been a high priority for Skydance after getting a script from Vanderbilt that sources said “blew execs away,” but the studio needed the right package of talent before it moved forward with the film. Ritchie, who has been as busy as any director in town, had been eyeing the project since the spring, with Krasinski also circling it around the same time, but the dual strikes forced things to be put on pause. Once the strikes were settled, both gave their commitments, and the delay also opened the door for Portman to land the other lead with her schedule opening up at the top of 2024. The plan is to shoot during first quarter this year.

Gleeson was recently seen starring in the FX limited series The Patient opposite Steve Carell, for which Gleeson was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for his acclaimed performance. He also recently co-starred in David Mandel’s acclaimed HBO limited series White House Plumbers, in which he portrayed John Dean opposite Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. Gleeson will next star in the feature Echo Valley for Apple, alongside Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, and the limited series Alice & Jack opposite Andrea Riseborough, which he also executive produced, and releases in February on Channel 4 in the UK and March on Masterpiece/PBS in the US following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival.

Additional credits include Frank of Ireland for Channel 4 and Amazon, which he co-produced and wrote with Michael Moloney and brother Brian Gleeson; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, the sequel to the international blockbuster Peter Rabbit, again opposite Rose Byrne and James Corden; Run opposite Merritt Wever for HBO; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens; The Kitchen opposite Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss; Lenny Abrahamson’s The Little Stranger opposite Ruth Wilson; Simon Curtis’s Goodbye Christopher Robin opposite Margot Robbie; American Made opposite Tom Cruise for Doug Liman.

He is repped by Paradigm, The Agency, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christoper, LLP.