It has been four years since director Cary Fukunaga, who previously directed Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond in No Time to Die, was accused of multiple accounts of sexual misconduct. Fukunaga was accused of sexual misconduct, grooming, and crossing professional lines on set, which one would imagine would kill anyone’s career. Yet that doesn’t seem to have stopped him from lining up a new film with the two stars Sony Pictures has invested in to carry their Spider-Man-led franchise that doesn’t feature the superhero.
Deadline has reported that Fukunaga has signed on to direct an adaptation of John Nesbø crime thriller novel Blood on Snow, with Tom Hardy (Venom) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter) set to star. Nesbø will pen the script based on his original novel, marking a rare turn for him to adapt one of his books. His work has previously been adapted into films like 2017’s The Snowman and 2022’s The Hanging Sun. Blood on Snow will take place in 1970s Oslo, where two rival gang leaders vie for control. Johnson is set to play Olav, a killer for the Hoffman family who turns against the family he has sworn to serve when he is asked to do a hit that clashes with his morals. Hardy is set to play the leader of the opposing family, The Fisherman.
Cary Fukunaga’s Reputation on Set
At one point, Cary Fukunaga appeared as one of the most exciting voices, having directed critically acclaimed movies like 2011’s Jane Eyre and 2015’s Beast of No Nation and directing all eight episodes of the critically acclaimed first season of True Detective. Yet, in the years since, his reputation has taken a significant hit following multiple disturbing reports of sexual misconduct. The first came in October 2021, just a few weeks before No Time to Die was set to open in theaters in the United States, when actress Raeden Greer accused Fukunaga of pressuring her into doing a topless scene for True Detective that was not included in her contract.
May 2022 was when multiple accusations against Fukanga came out. On May 5, 2022, actress and skateboarder Rachelle Vinberg released a video on Instagram accusing Fukunaga of grooming her and many other young actresses, citing, in particular, her experience filming the “A Perfect Day” Samsung commercial he directed in 2016 when she was just 18 years old. Vinberg said that she had been in therapy for a year and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his behavior in their relationship. The same day Vinberg released her videos, twins Hannah and Cailin Loesch, who worked on the Fukunaga-directed series Maniac, accused him of sexual harassment and grooming. On May 31, 2022, an article by Rolling Stone revealed that nearly a dozen sources said the director repeatedly used his sets to pursue much younger female cast and crew members openly.
Despite all the disturbing allegations leveled against Fukunaga, he continues to get work, including with big-name stars like Tom Hardy and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. A movie that is likely going to be the closest fans get to a Venom and Kraven the Hunter crossover. Fukunaga previously directed four episodes of the AppleTV+ series Masters of Air, which were filmed after the accusations against him came out. Like David O’Russell, who recently landed the Madden biopic despite the multiple allegations against him, it appears that many are willing to look the other way.