Liam Neeson has been tapped to play a “Great Gatsby-esque” character in a new comedy movie.
Neeson is best known for starring in action movies, having recently appeared in titles such as 2024’s Absolution, 2025’s Ice Road: Vengeance, and 2026’s Cold Storage. He is, however, no stranger to the world of comedy, as he led the recent Naked Gun reboot movie that was released last year.
What else do we know about the new Liam Neeson comedy movie?
Per Variety, it’s now been announced that Neeson has been tapped to star in a new film, titled The Splendid Thing, that is described as “blending romantic comedy, drama, and fantasy.”
The movie is being directed by Matthew Modine. Modine will also star in the film as a character named Declan King, while the cast further includes John Cleese.
Variety’s article explains, “The Splendid Thing will see Modine play Declan King, a celebrated novelist who has lost his focus and has been struggling to complete his latest novel since his wife left him. He’s sent by his exasperated literary agent on a book-signing tour to Europe, where it’s hoped he may find inspiration to write, but things soon take a surreal turn as characters from his previous books start coming to life all around him. Among them are Neeson as a Great Gatsby-esque type who puts Declan in the hospital after a punch-up and Cleese as a priest who also doubles as the Grim Reaper. But the surreal happenings are just the beginning as Declan comes to discover that literally nothing is what it seems.”
More stars are expected to join the cast in the near future. Hyde Park Intl. is launching the project at the Cannes market.
The script for The Splendid Thing comes from Modine and Stephen Wallis. Natalie Marciano and Brian Williams produce the project, while Ashok Amriraj, Priya Amritraj, and James Steele serve as executive producers.
Modine said in a statement, “I’m absolutely thrilled by the emotional reaction to this story and how it has led us to our incredible ensemble of actors. A phantasmic, comical story, an international cast, being filmed in one of the most romantic countries in the world! What could be better!?”
