Jason Isaacs joins cast of Donovan Marsh’s The Bleeding Ground

Jason Isaacs is set to join Djimon Hounsou and Ariyon Bakare in Donovan Marsh’s gripping action-drama The Bleeding Ground, a powerful exploration of the devastating impact of the oil industry in the Niger Delta. The news was confirmed by producer Jean-Luc Van Damme of Happy Moon Productions, who also announced that David P Kelly has come on board as the film’s UK production partner.

May 13, 2025

Isaacs (The White Lotus S.3, The Salt Path) will take on the role of Sol Layton, an oil
executive caught in a high stakes battle with local militant leader Idoma Kwali (to be
played by Hounsou), who is driven by personal loss and an unyielding quest for justice.

The film delves deep into the lives of the two men on either side of this complex conflict, says Van Damme who, together with UK screenwriter Mathew Bayliss, has been working on the script for several years. “One is black; one white. One is a fierce yet compassionate militant, the other a conflicted CEO trying to bring change. Their
relentless struggles against overwhelming odds form the heart of this fast paced and compelling film.”

Marsh (Avenged, I Am All Girls), who joined the project as its director after he and Van
Damme met in South Africa during Covid, adds: “Drawing on the stylish realism of
Beasts of No Nation and the gritty clash of cultures in Captain Philips, The Bleeding
Ground will be a thrilling depiction of those who exploit Africa for it’s natural resources, those who use this opportunity to setup intricate networks of corruption and those who
fight back against this injustice.”

Production on The Bleeding Ground is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with a nine-
week shoot in Cape Town and Durban. The project is backed by a combination of South
African incentives, UK tax credits and private equity funding. South African co-producers are Monareng Makwetla and Alison Ellard for Jozi Canvas Productions.

Set up by Van Damme with the aim to (co-)produce quality films with strong concepts through contemporary themes, Belgium-based Happy Moon Productions’ filmography includes award-winning titles such as Goodbye Bafana by Bille August, Passion of War by Glénio Bonder, Let Me Survive by Eduardo Rossog and Sisters in Arms by Caroline Fourest.