Last week we reported Dwayne Johnson had replaced Clive Owen in director Simon West's (Con Air, The Mechanic, Tomb Raider) Protection. I guess the casting is now official as we've just gotten a press release. While most of the info was already known, there were a few new details on the film like the budget will be $35 million, Johnson's character is called 'Hombre', and it's scheduled to shoot this fall in New Mexico. For the new synopsis and the full press release, hit the jump:
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Los Angeles, April 28, 2010 -- Dwayne Johnson has signed to star in the action thriller PROTECTION, as announced by IM Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford today. PROTECTION will be directed by Simon West (CON AIR, LAURA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, THE MECHANIC, STRANGERS) and is scheduled to lens in New Mexico this fall. The screenplay was written by Brandon Noonan.
Johnson will star as 'Hombre' in the $35 million budgeted, high-octane tale of a mercenary Mexico City security operative forced to smuggle the daughter of an under-threat, high ranking judge and the judge's chief legal counsel across the border while being pursued by corrupt cops, drug lords and white collar U.S. criminal forces. With PROTECTION, Johnson continues the return to his action roots, having just completed filming CBS Films' FASTER, which is scheduled for release this November.
PROTECTION will be produced by Ford and Robert Lawrence, along with Gordon Gray and Marc Ciardi of Mayhem Pictures. Brian Kavanaugh Jones will executive produce and Jib Polhemus will act as co-producer.
Said Ford: "Dwayne is poised to consolidate his position as one of the planet's top action stars over the next few years. Meanwhile Simon is a proven commodity when it comes to studio level action pics. Add to that a pulsating storyline which is very much grounded in current events and I think we have a potential smash hit movie".
About IM Global
IM Global was founded in March 2007 by former Miramax International head Stuart Ford. The company has rapidly established itself as one of the leading international sales companies in the worldwide community handling a wide variety of mainstream commercial, art house and genre fare. The company enjoyed an outstanding 2009 the highlights of which were supernatural blockbuster "Paranormal Activity" by Oren Peli and Tom Ford's critically acclaimed "A Single Man". In the current production pipeline, the company has Peli's follow up feature "Area 51", Will Ferrell starrer "Everything Must Go", Halle Berry shark actioner "Dark Tide", SAW director James Wan's horror title "Astral" and special effects action thriller 'Skyline" from the Brothers Strause. Also slated for 2010 releases are John Wells' drama "The Company Men" starring Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner, martial arts CGI flick "Bunraku" starring Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson and thriller "Shelter" starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
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