Stellan Skarsgard and Hiroyuki Sanada have joined the cast of “The Railway Man,” starring Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman and Jeremy Irvine, which starts shooting April 30 in Scotland.

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzy from a script by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson, the movie is based on the true story of Eric Lomax, a British officer captured and tortured by the Japanese in WW2.

Decades later, Lomax was persuaded by his wife to seek out and confront one of his captors.

Skarsgard will play the best friend who accompanies the older Lomax (Firth) back to the scene of his torture. Sanada (“47 Ronin”) plays a Japanese officer from the prison camp whom Lomax tracks down.

The film is an Australia/U.K. co-production, with Lionsgate U.K. taking worldwide rights. Lionsgate Intl. is handling foreign sales, and CAA will rep the U.S. rights on behalf of Lionsgate U.K. Production coin also comes from Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, Creative Scotland and gap financier Silver Reel.

Paterson is producing with Chris Brown and Bill Curbishley. After Scotland, the shoot will move to Thailand and Queensland, Australia.

The pic has been pre-sold to Metropolitan in France, eOne in Benelux, West in Russia, Spentzos in Greece, Ascot Elite in Switzerland, Gussi in Latin America, Mislabel in Scandinavia and Forum in Poland.

- Variety