“Ibelin,” from the “CODA” team of Vendôme Pictures and Pathé, has found its stars.
Charlie Plummer, Isabela Merced, Stephen Graham, Toni Collette, Maisy Stella and Sir Anthony Hopkins have all been slated for “Ibelin,” which will be directed by “The Imitation Game” filmmaker Morten Tyldum and written by BAFTA nominee Ilaria Bernardini and “Drive” writer Hossein Amini. It is based on the blog “Musings of Life” by Mats Steen, who created an alter ego in the World of Warcraft game called Ibelin.
Vendôme Pictures Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi produce with Jérôme Seydoux at Pathé and Tyldum and Guri Neby for Neby-Tyldum AS. Vendôme and Pathé finance the film. Sarah Finn is casting director and serves as executive producer. Black Bear represents the international sales rights, while CAA Media Finance represents the domestic rights and will present to buyers in the upcoming US film market. Principal photography will take place in Europe in 2026.
The official synopsis reads: “I–B–E–L–I–N. Six letters. That’s all Mats wrote when he created his virtual alter ego – unaware that they would come to define his entire world. In the vast digital realm, Ibelin was admired by thousands for his humor, kindness and courage. Behind the screen, Mats lived only a degenerative disease: – he lived only a degenerative disease. slowly took away his body, but never his soul. At home, his loving, little feared chaotic family that he withdrew from the world. is a celebration of life – tender, funny and deeply moving; a heartfelt family story intertwined with an epic adventure that explores the power of friendship and the invisible threads that connect us all.”
If the story sounds familiar, it’s probably because there has already been a deeply moving documentary on the subject, “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won two awards, and was picked up by Netflix. It also won a Peabody Award.
“‘Ibelin’ is a sensational story that will be told by a remarkable group of storytellers, first and foremost Morten, who has a rare ability to evoke emotions with films like ‘The Imitation Game’ and epics like ‘Passengers’ and ‘Silo,'” says Rousselet. “We have assembled a formidable cast, and with our frequent collaborators at Pathé and the team at Black Bear, we are confident that this will be a film that will resonate with buyers and audiences everywhere.”
Tyldum is represented by CAA, Anonymous Content and Vendôme. Plummer is represented by Gersh, Untitled and Peikoff Mahan. Graham is repped by Independent Talent Group and Link Entertainment. Collette is repped by CAA, United Management and Finley Management. Merced is repped by CAA and Peikoff Mahan. Stella is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Hopkins is repped by Independent Talent Group and UTA. Bernardini is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. Amini is repped by WME.
