According to Deadline, Josh Hartnett (30 Days of Night) has officially signed on to star opposite Jason Statham in director Guy Ritchie’s forthcoming international spy thriller film titled Five Eyes. This actually marks Hartnett’s second collaboration with Statham and Richie, who are all working together on MGM’s upcoming action-thriller Wrath of Man. He will be joining previously announced cast members Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, and Bugzy Malone.
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In Five Eyes, MI6 guns-and-steel agent Orson Fortune (Statham) is recruited by a global intelligence alliance ‘Five Eyes’ to track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology that threatens to disrupt the world order. Reluctantly paired with CIA high-tech expert Sarah Fidel, Fortune sets off on a globe-trotting mission where he will have to use all of his charm, ingenuity, and stealth to track down and infiltrate billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds.
The film will be directed by Ritchie from a script written by Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies (The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man), with revisions by Ritchie. This project marks the latest collaboration between Ritchie and Statham, who have previously worked together on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Revolver as well as the upcoming action thriller Wrath of Man.
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Five Eyes will be produced by Bill Block for Miramax, which is also fully financing the film. Ivan Atkinson also serves as producer. STXfilms has secured worldwide distribution rights to the film. STX will distribute directly in the US, UK, and Ireland, and STXinternational will launch sales to foreign buyers at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. STXfilms had great success earlier this year with Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which grossed $115 million at the worldwide box office.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
