Netflix’s “The Ballad of a Small Player”: Cast, Plot & Release Info

After the massive success of his critically acclaimed film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” talented director Edward Berger has landed an exciting new deal with Netflix. The streaming giant has signed Berger to a first-look agreement, which means they get the first opportunity to work with him on future projects.

And the first project under this new deal is already in the works! Berger will be directing a thrilling movie, “The Ballad of a Small Player,” starring the incredible actors Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton. The script for this exciting film has been written by Rowan Joffe, who has previously worked on shows and movies like “Tin Star,” “The American,” and “The Informer.”

The production team for “The Ballad of a Small Player” is also talented. Mike Goodridge is producing through his company Good Chaos, along with Berger’s own Nine Hours banner and Matthew James Wilkinson from Stigma Films.

But that’s not all! Berger has several other projects lined up with Netflix following the massive success of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” He’s set to executive produce and direct an adaptation of “The 39 Steps,” he’s also been announced to work on an adaptation of Christopher Reiche’s novel “The Take.”

Additionally, there were previous reports of Berger being attached to a project called “Last Adventure,” which follows someone sailing around the world in search of a missing ship full of equipment from the Iraq War. However, the development of another project called “The Atomic Bazaar” has unfortunately ceased.

Plot of The Ballad of a Small Player?

Netflix’s “The Ballad of a Small Player” is based on Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel. Here’s the official Netflix logline for the movie:

“The story follows a high-stakes gambler who decides to lay low in Macau after his past and debts catch up with him. Along the way he encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.”

Here’s a more lengthy plot synopsis of Osborne’s novel as seen on Amazon:

As night falls on Macau and the neon signs that line the rain-slick streets come alive, Doyle – “Lord Doyle” to his fellow players – descends into his casino of choice to try his luck at the baccarat tables that are the anchor of his current existence. A corrupt English lawyer who has escaped prosecution by fleeing to the East, Doyle spends his nights drinking and gambling and his days sleeping off his excesses, continually haunted by his past. Taking refuge in a series of louche and dimly lit hotels, he watches his fortune rise and fall as the cards decide his fate.

In a moment of crisis he meets Dao-Ming, an enigmatic Chinese woman who appears to be a denizen of the casinos just like himself, and seems to offer him salvation in the form of both money and love. But as Doyle attempts to make a rare and true connection, all that he accepts as reality seems to be slipping from his grasp.

Cast of The Ballad of a Small Player?

Colin Farrell has been cast as Doyle in Netflix’s “The Ballad of a Small Player.” His recent credits include “Banshees of Inisherin,” “The Batman,” and “The Gentlemen.” He is also set to reprise his role as the Penguin in Max’s spinoff “The Penguin” later this year.

Joining Farrell is Tilda Swinton, although her role hasn’t been confirmed yet. Swinton’s recent projects include “The Killer,” “Thousand Years of Longing,” and “Asteroid City.”