New Ben Wheatley: "Free Fire" (Action/Crime)

[ZeTi]

HUGE Ben Wheatley fan, and this looks very promising.

LONDON — Luke Evans (“Dracula Untold,” “The Hobbit”) will star in Ben Wheatley’s action shootout movie “Free Fire,” which is being launched for pre-sales at AFM by Protagonist Pictures.

The cast of the $10 million budget film, Wheatley’s first set in the U.S., will also feature Armie Hammer (“The Social Network,” “The Lone Ranger” and next year’s “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”), Cillian Murphy (“Inception,” “Batman Begins”), Olivia Wilde (“Her,” “Rush”) and Wheatley regular Michael Smiley (“Kill List,” “Black Sea”) in a story about an arms deal that goes spectacularly wrong.

Andy Starke will produce for Starke and Wheatley’s Rook Films, whose recent production of Peter Strickland’s “The Duke of Burgundy” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, with Film4 on board as one of the financiers. Casting is by Shaheen Baig. Production is scheduled for spring 2015.

Studiocanal, which has a long history with Wheatley, has acquired rights for the U.K. Domestic rights are repped by WME.

The story is set in Boston in 1978. 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.

Wheatley said: “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.”

Source: https://variety.com/2014/film/news/l...re-1201338287/

[Foggy]

Sounds ace!

[Pizzamorg]

I can't wait for ultra violence and a closing act that makes no sense but is so utterly batshit nuts that you adore it anyway.

[lolwut]

Awesome! Love all of Wheatley's films and the cast is impressive. Let's hope that the move to the U.S., bigger names in the cast, and a bigger budget doesn't mean that he has to compromise his vision.

[ZeTi]

Scorsese will produce it.

http://www.screendaily.com/festivals...082913.article

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by ZeTi

Scorsese will produce it.

http://www.screendaily.com/festivals...082913.article

Not surprising since he really loved A Field in England, granted Scorsese's seal on this doesn't guarantee success, he's had his name in front if some stinkers, but you really can't help get excited.

[Booker Dewitt]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Not surprising since he really loved A Field in England, granted Scorsese's seal on this doesn't guarantee success, he's had his name in front if some stinkers, but you really can't help get excited.

It's gonna buff up the awareness for the film at least. Can see a bunch of film school goons talking about Ben Wheatley once this drops.

[ZeTi]

According to Mr. Wheatley's twitter feed, principal photography for "FREE FIRE" just finished:

https://twitter.com/mr_wheatley/stat...98373227737088

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by ZeTi

According to Mr. Wheatley's twitter feed, principal photography for "FREE FIRE" just finished:

https://twitter.com/mr_wheatley/stat...98373227737088

Bloody hell, that makes it two of his film in the can!

[Ultra_Violence]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Bloody hell, that makes it two of his film in the can!

Yup, can't wait for either one of them!

[MrBlonde]

Two Wheatley films coming soon!

[Ultra_Violence]

When is High Rise getting a release date anyway?

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by Ultra_Violence

When is High Rise getting a release date anyway?

I haven't heard anything but the wait is killing me slowly.

[Ultra_Violence]

Originally Posted by MrBlonde

I haven't heard anything but the wait is killing me slowly.

Yeah same. What's the betting it sits on the shelf for a while? Possibly getting a release at the start of next year. I hope not but I'm just speculating.

[Impossible]

It's kinda hard to believe Evans got his start in a really bad Kylie TV special lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMvr...MvrBCpKaYY#t=9

[Foggy]

A24 have acquired distribution rights. Get hyped.

[Ultra_Violence]

Originally Posted by Foggy

A24 have acquired distribution rights. Get hyped.

Hypage confirmed.

[Darth Marcus]

According to TrailerTrack we should be seeing a trailer online soon. One is supposedly attached to Swiss Army Man this weekend.

[shrex]

Saw the trailer before Swiss Army Man. Nice cast along with A24 and Scorsese producing, I'm intrigued.

[warrian]

Moar Ben Wheatley!