Prolific UK director Ben Wheatley has set Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Olivia Wilde and Wheatley regular Michael Smiley to star in his next film, “Free Fire,” which also marks his first film set in the US.
Set in Boston in the 1970s, the film follows a woman named Justine (presumably Wilde), a woman who has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen (Murphy and Smiley) and a gang (led by Hammer and Evans) over the sale of a stash of guns. “But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart stopping game of survival ensues.” Filming begins in spring 2015.
Luke Evans, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde and Michael Smiley are set to star in Ben Wheatley's action movie “Free Fire,” which will be the director's first film set in the U.S., it was announced Friday.
Protagonist Pictures is launching pre-sales at AFM for the movie, which has a $10 million budget.
Set in Bostin in 1978, story chronicles an arms deal that goes wrong and turns into a shootout. Wilde plays Justine, a woman who has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen (Murphy, Smiley) and a gang led by Hammer and Evans who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart-stopping game of survival ensues.
Andy Starke will produce for his and Wheatley's Rook Films, with Film4 on board as one of the financiers. Production will begin in the spring. Studiocanal, which has a long history with Wheatley, has acquired rights for the UK. Domestic rights are repped by WME.
“The idea for ‘Free Fire' came from my love of hard boiled crime movies; from ‘The Asphalt Jungle,’ ‘The Big Sleep,’ ‘The Killing' and ‘The Big Combo' through ‘The Driver,’ ‘Le Samourai' and ‘The French Connection,’ to the modern cycle of ‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Casino,’ ‘Hard Boiled' and 'Reservoir Dogs.’ ‘Free Fire’ will take you and stick you in the middle of the action. I want the film to have the stylish, no nonsense feel that you get in Peckinpah's ‘The Getaway.’ It's a modern '70s movie. Muscular, tough and spare,” said Wheatley.
Wheatley is currently in post on his adaptation of JG Ballard's “High-Rise,” which stars Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller and Evans. He rose to prominence as one of the UK's most distinctive directors with “Down Terrace” (2009), “Kill List” (2011), “Sightseers” (2012) and “A Field In England” (2013). He recently directed the first two episodes of “Dr. Who” starring Peter Capaldi as the famed Time Lord.
“The notion of Ben Wheatley making a hard-boiled American '70s crime movie is just too exciting for words,” said Protagonist CEO Mike Goodridge. “We can't wait for buyers to read it.”
Martin Scorsese has joined upcoming Ben Wheatley action film Free Fire as an executive producer.
Kill List director Wheatley, currently in post-production on anticipated dystopian thriller High Rise, has cited Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Casino as influences for Free Fire, a hard-boiled crime movie set in 1978 Boston in which a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.
Shooting is set for the second quarter of 2015 with a cast including Luke Evans, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde and Michael Smiley. Andy Starke and Rook Films are producing.
Scorsese and his partner in Sikelia Productions Emma Tillinger Koskoff will both serve as executive producers on the film.
Scorsese previously lent his name to the US release campaign of Wheatley’s A Field In England, calling it “Audacious and wildly brilliant. A stunning cinematic experience.”
“I wouldn’t be making films if it wasn’t for Martin Scorsese,” said Wheatley. “I think that’s the case for a lot of directors. It’s an honour and an extreme thrill to have him involved in this project. Wow.”
Protagonist handles international sales, WME will sell domestic.
From what I've seen, Wheatley is the real deal. This project has some obvious promise and it's the sort of deal that could the director on the map, but the content isn't entirely inspiring. I hope he'll make more weird stuff in the future. High-Rise sounds interesting (and vague).
Brie Larson is set to join the ensemble of Ben Wheatley’s next thriller “Free Fire.”
Luke Evans, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy also star. Larson is replacing Olivia Wilde, who had to drop out because of her schedule.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is handling distribution. Wheatley will write and direct.
“Free Fire” is set in 1978 in a deserted warehouse where a meeting between two gangs turns into a deadly shootout and all-out survival. Sources describe it in the vein of “Reservoir Dogs” with a new twist.
