For a while Martin Scorsese was attached to direct,[4] although he would later drop out in 2013.[3] The next year, Tomas Alfredson was hired to direct.[5] Prior to Alfredson, the studio considered both Morten Tyldum and Baltasar Kormakur as possible directors, although both declined. [6] By September 2015 Michael Fassbender was in talks to join the film for the lead role.[7] Rebecca Ferguson and Gainsbourg were in talks to join by that October and December respectively[8] [9]