Paul Mescal has replaced Jamie Dornan as the male lead in Benjamin Millepied’s film Carmen.
The upcoming film will re-imagine one of the world’s most celebrated operas under the same name, penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris Jr.
The Kildare native will star alongside Melissa Barrera in the flick, which is expected to begin filming in Australia in January.
“I’m honoured to have been cast alongside Melissa, an actor I greatly admire,” Paul told Variety.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be working with Benjamin on his first feature, who has put together such an impressive creative team,” he added.
French producer Dimitri Rassam said of the starring actors: “We are thrilled to see [Carmen] coming to life in the best possible way with Melissa and Paul, two exceptionally talented performers.”
The musical will feature nine new songs by Oscar-nominated music composer Nicholas Britell.
Fellow Irish actor Jamie Dornan was previously announced for the role, with Normal People star Paul taking on the lead instead.
The actor rose to fame after the hit Hulu and BBC series aired in April, where he captivated audiences with his portrayal of Connell Waldron.
The Irish actor was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his role at this year’s Emmys, but sadly missed out on the award.
Paul recently filmed his first feature film, starring alongside Dakota Johnson and Olivia Colman in a flick called The Lost Daughter.
