Baltasar Kormakur’s Pandemic Thriller ‘Touch’ Begins Shooting in London

Adaptation of Olafur Johann Olafsson’s novel will be released by Focus Features

Baltasar Kormakur
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Focus Features announced on Thursday that principal photography has begun on Baltasar Kormakur’s upcoming film “Touch,” a romantic thriller set during the COVID-19 pandemic that will begin shooting in London.

Based on Olafur Johann Olafsson’s novel released in August, “Touch” follows an elderly Icelandic man named Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) who is forced to shut down his restaurant because of the pandemic. But as the world begins to shut down, he receives a message from a woman named Miko, whom he dated nearly 60 years ago when they were students in London before she suddenly disappeared. In a race against time and the spread of the virus, Kristofer travels to England and Japan to find Miko.

Kormakur most recently directed the thriller “Beast” starring Idris Elba, which barely broke even at the box office with $56.5 million grossed globally against a $36 million budget. He has also directed “Everest” starring Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal and “2 Guns” starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. He is repped by WME and Rich Cook at Range. Olafsson is represented by Gloria Loomis of Watkins Loomis Acency.

Focus Features’ upcoming slate includes Todd Field’s “Tár,” which gets a limited release this weekend after receiving critical acclaim for lead actress Cate Blanchett. The distributor will also release James Gray’s “Armageddon Time” starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Hathaway in November.

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