Dev Patel to Lead Medieval Revenge Thriller 'The Peasant'

Many actors are talented performers, but few seem to consistently understand the assignment as well as Dev Patel (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar). He got his start on the groundbreaking teen drama Skins, alongside such familiar faces as Nicholas Hoult (The Great), Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones), and Kaya Scodelario (The Gentlemen)*. Patel then went on to build a career full of both popular and critically acclaimed projects, ranging from the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire to the charming ensemble comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and arguably the best Charles Dickens adaptation of recent memory, The Personal History of David Copperfield. 

(*That Skins first generation cast was truly unmatched.) 

In an interesting turn, Patel recently made his directorial debut with the 2024 action film Monkey Man and doesn't seem inclined to slow down anytime soon when it comes to extending himself both in front of and behind the camera. Case in point: His next project, a period-set revenge thriller called The Peasant. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is described as a mix of John Wick and Braveheart, with a dash of King Arthur thrown in for good measure. It all sounds a bit like Monkey Man thrown into a blender alongside the 2021 critical darling, The Green Knight. (NB: I am not complaining.) The film is apparently set in medieval India of the 1300s and follows the story of a shepherd who sets out on a quest for revenge after a gang of mercenary knights attacks his home. Proving his undeniable triple-threat status, Patel will direct, write, and star in the production.

The film's description is fairly basic at this point. 

Set in the 1300s, it centers on a shepherd who embarks on a rage-fueled campaign against a group of mercenary knights who ransacked his community, revealing himself to be more than he seems.

The Peasant initially made news as part of The Black List, the annual directory of the most popular unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. Production company Fifth Season ultimately chose to finance the project, and is joined by Thunder Road, the company which also produced both Monkey Man and the John Wick films. The feature was initially based on a script by Ms. Marvel writer Will Dunn, who is reportedly collaborating with Patel on new drafts. The actor's involvement led to the story's original Italian setting being shifted to fourteenth-century India, ostensibly to better align with Patel's own interests and cultural background. 

Additionally, there aren't a plethora of medieval Indian period pieces available these days, so this change should help the movie stand out in a crowded theatrical landscape. There's no word yet on when we might expect to see this project hit theaters or who else will be involved, but the creatives behind the scenes are hopeful that, if it's successful, The Peasant (much like the aforementioned John Wick) could launch a franchise.

We'll keep an eye out for more news on The Peasant as it develops.