Omar Sy (Intouchables, Lupin) and Kerry Washington (Scandal) have signed on to star in action-thriller Shadow Force, which is being directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey) and is in development at Lionsgate.
The film will follow an estranged couple with a bounty on their heads who must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer: a shadow ops unit that has been sent to kill them. Carnahan has written the script alongside Leon Chills.
Stephen ‘Dr.’ Love is producing the film via his Made With Love Media company, which has an overall deal with Lionsgate. Washington is also producing through her Simpson Street banner with Pilar Savone, as is Sterling K. Brown, who was previously attached to play the male lead, through his Indian Meadows Productions.
Nathan Kahane, President of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement:
“Omar is at the top of his powers – combined with his global stardom, he’s ideally suited to co-lead this action-drama with Kerry, whose talent as an actress and a producer is unbounded.
We’re thrilled to be working with the production team of Stephen, Kerry, Sterling, and Pilar, who have shepherded this story of a family in peril from the beginning, and with Joe, who will bring a unique, visceral style to the film.”
Carnahan is taking over the director’s chair from Victoria Mahoney (The Morning Show, You). He’s proven to be pretty adept at action films, helming movies such as Narc and The Grey, while releasing two such films in 2021, each starring Frank Grillo: sci-fi actioner Boss Level, and the Assault On Precinct 13-esque Copshop.
Sy has appeared in films such as Jurassic World, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, and Transformers: The Last Knight, but has found a period of sustained success thanks to playing the lead in Netflix series Lupin, which premiered in 2021 and was watched 70 million households during its first month, becoming the most-watched non-English series on Netflix at the time.
Washington’s last on screen roles were back in 2020, where she played the co-lead in the Hulu series adaptation of Celeste Ng‘s Little Fires Everywhere, and also appeared in Ryan Murphy‘s Netflix musical comedy The Prom. She’ll next be seen in another Netflix project – Paul Feig‘s adaptation of YA fantasy novel The School For Good And Evil, which is expected to drop this year.
#Peace.Love.ShadowForce
