DC/Vertigo’s The Kitchen Casts Domhnall Gleeson as a Hitman

Domhnall Gleeson has been added to the already prolific cast of DC and Vertigo’s upcoming film The Kitchen. The Star Wars and Harry Potter star joins Melissa McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish, and Margo Martindale in the film.


Though based on a DC/Vertigo comic book, The Kitchen will definitely not be taking place anywhere near the DCU. The film is set in Hell’s Kitchen, New York circa the 1970s and tells the story of a group of women married into the Irish mafia. When their husbands are arrested, the women take over the family crime industry – and they turn out to be far more ruthless and violent than their husbands ever were. Haddish, Moss, and McCarthy are set to play the wives at the center of the story.


THR reports negotiations between Gleeson and New Line Cinema are nearing a close. Gleeson will take on the role of Vietnam vet Gabriel O’Malley. O’Malley worked as a hitman but escaped the imprisonment the husbands faced by skipping town. Once the men are out of the way, he returns to “settle old scores.” This could mean the character will be a sort of adversary to the women. But given the description of the wives’ vicious brutality, it seems like O’Malley is the one who will need to watch his step, instead.


While the cast is largely made up of surprising choices, McCarthy and Haddish’s comedic roots run deep, while Gleeson comes from family-friendly fantasy fare, the film is being helmed by some very experienced names in the industry. Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Suicide Squad 2) will produce, while Straight Outta Compton scribe Andrea Berloff is set to write and direct. This will be Berloff’s full-length film directorial debut. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her work on Straight Outta Compton. The movie is currently looking to start filming in May and is expected to premiere September 20, 2019.


The premise behind The Kitchen is certainly a unique one. The Godfather and The Sopranos are proof positive that mafia stories have a strong market. But most of these stories focus on the male Dons in the business. The Kitchen hopes to put that trope squarely on its head with its trio of ruthless mob wives. Berloff previously shared her excitement over the progressiveness of the project, saying she is “beyond thrilled” to work on a film that is so “unapologetically female-driven.”