ER star Goran Višnjić to play Croatian general Ante Gotovina in biopic

Hollywood actor Goran Višnjić, best known to an international audience for his role as Dr Luka Kovač on television series ER, is set to play the lead role in an upcoming feature film on the life of Croatian wartime general Ante Gotovina.

Production company Kiklop confirmed in a statement to Balkan Investigative Reporting Network that the Croatian-American actor would be playing Mr Gotovina in General, and that shooting would commence in the second half of February.

The retired military chief was an important figure during the Croatian War of Independence and was acquitted of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague in 2012, after being arrested in 2005.

“The best choice for the role of Gotovina was Goran Višnjić, as he is perfectly informed about his life. He talked with the general a number of times, and he was also at the trial in The Hague,” said General‘s director, Croatian filmmaker Antun Vrdoljak.

Kiklop has denied rumours circulating in the Croatian media that Gotovina’s first wife, Colombian-born Ximene Dalel, will be played by Penelope Cruz.

In addition to the film, which is set for release next year, Croatian state broadcaster HRT will shoot an eight-part television series on the same subject.

Source: Balkan Insight