Barry Keoghan and Johan Renck’s new film project: Amo Saddam. The Saltburn star by Barry Keoghan, Johan Renck, director of „Chernobyl,“ is preparing to take on the lead role in his new film „Amo Saddam,“ which focuses on the final days of Iraq. The film is an adaptation of Will Bardenwerper’s bestseller „The Prisoner in His Palace.“ Barry Keoghan will portray an American soldier whose task is to protect the fallen dictator in the months leading up to his trial and potential execution for crimes against humanity. The film depicts how the soldier approached Saddam, how he navigated the thin line between reality and fiction, and shared the atmosphere of a bombed-out palace turned into a high-security prison. Johan Renck stated that the film will „attempt to deal with the American imperial machine that defines the 21st century,“ aiming to produce a „gripping, authentic“ portrayal of Baghdad in 2006. Renck emphasizes that „Amo Saddam“ will not include „the typical tropes of war films“ but will be a genre-crossing film, a „prison film, a war film, and almost a kind of horror film.“ The role of Saddam has not been cast yet, but Renck is in talks with „a really good actor from the region who speaks Arabic and could truly embody the role.“ Filming for the movie, produced by Renck and Michael Parets, will commence in the fall of this year.