Charlie Plummer, Stephen Graham, Toni Collette, Isabela Merced, Maisy Stella and Anthony Hopkins have joined the cast of Ibelin, a dramatization of the real life story of Norwegian gamer Mats Steen and his virtual alter ego in World of Warcraft. Steen’s story was told in Benjamin Ree’s Emmy-nominated documentary .
The film will be directed by Academy Award nominee Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) from a screenplay by BAFTA nominee Ilaria Bernardini (Citadel: Diana) and Academy Award nominee Hossein Amini (Drive). The story is based on Steen’s blog Musings of Life, which detailed his life with a degenerative muscular disease and the relationships he built online as “Ibelin.”
Ibelin marks a renewed collaboration between Vendôme Pictures and Pathé following their partnership on Oscar-winner CODA. Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi are producing for Vendôme alongside Jérôme Seydoux for Pathé and Tyldum and Guri Neby for Neby-Tyldum AS. Vendôme and Pathé are financing the project. Sarah Finn (Everything Everywhere All at Once) serves as casting director and executive producer.
Black Bear is handling international sales and will present the film to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights. Production is scheduled to begin in Europe in spring or summer 2026.
