Michael B. Jordan’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ Casts ‘Andor’ Star Adria Arjona

After Taylor Russell’s surprising departure from Michael B. Jordan’s The Thomas Crown Affair due to “creative differences,” the film quickly found a replacement. This comes as no surprise, as the film has already entered production, with the need quickly arising for a replacement for Russell. The cast of the highly anticipated remake has been slowly rounded out over the past few months, with the likes of Danai Gurira, Kenneth Branagh, and Lily Gladstone all cast in various roles.

Per Variety, Adria Arjona (Andor) has joined The Thomas Crown Affair reboot. Arjona, a fan-favorite to play the next Wonder Woman, should prove to be an interesting addition, especially since her attachment is so much more last-minute compared to Russell’s early involvement during pre-production. Previous reports on the casting process for The Thomas Crown Affair remake detailed what was described as an “extensive” audition process involving various actors for the role that Russell was originally set to play. The past two versions of the movie have been considered star-making roles of the female leads. The original 1968 film helped propel Faye Dunaway to stardom, while the 1999 remake also made Rene Russo an A-list actress after her performance opposite Pierce Brosnan.

According to a report from Deadline in March, Russell reportedly went through numerous auditions, meetings, and, lastly, a screen test with Jordan in London, which had apparently secured the role for her. This makes her departure from the movie that much more confusing, though Arjona’s addition is a welcome one. Meanwhile, it is unclear if the Andor actor was one of the many who were once in the running for the part.

‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ Will Continue Adria Arjona’s Impressive Streak

Adria Arjona has had an awe-inspiring career over the past few years, and most recently has garnered acclaim for her role as Bix Caleen in the second and final season of Andor. She also had a critical supporting role in the Zoe Kravitz-directed horror film Blink Twice and played the female lead character in Richard Linklater’s Netflix film Hit Man, in which she starred alongside Glen Powell. The Thomas Crown Affair will likely continue her impressive streak of phenomenal roles, as the actor has managed to convey impressive chemistry with a wide range of leading men, something that will be desperately needed for the upcoming remake.

Story details for this remake are being kept under wraps, but Variety notes that the current version of the script has been penned by Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), working from a previous draft written by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson. Jordan is also coming off a successful year, having starred in the incredibly successful film Sinners, the original genre film by Ryan Coogler. The Thomas Crown Affair has an all-star production team behind it, so it’s no surprise that such an impressive replacement was found in such a short amount of time.

While Taylor Russell’s departure from the film is unfortunate, it will be exciting to see what Arjona does with the role. The cat-and-mouse game between the main characters in both Thomas Crown Affair movies is what has helped to make the story so engaging, and Arjona will most definitely leave her mark on this new version of the story. Fans of the actor can check her out next in the Neon-distributed comedy Splitsville.

Source: Variety