Michael Pena (The Martian, Ant-Man, Fury) has signed on as the starring lead in the action-thriller The Worker for Jeremy Renner and Don Handfield’s production outfit, The Combine, and Content Media. Dan Bradley (Red Dawn) is directing the film from a screenplay by Kyle Rankin.
Producers are The Combine’s Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Avengers, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) and Don Handfield (The Founder, Knightfall, Kill The Messenger) and Content Media’s Tom Butterfield. Pena will executive produce through his Strata Films banner, with Philip G. Flores.
Content Media will handle international sales for The Worker and introduce the project to distributors for the first time at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin next month. CAA will represent the film’s N. American distribution rights.
The Worker is described as Taken meets Bourne – equipped with spectacular gun fights, car chases and lethal hand-to-hand combat, from Director Dan Bradley, who made a name for himself as Second Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator on a number of high-octane blockbuster hits including the Bourne series and others.
In The Worker, Pena plays Manny, an ex-member of Special Forces, Mexico’s elite fighting unit. When the cartel puts a hit out on his family, his only choice is to flee to Los Angeles. But crossing a border doesn’t guarantee safety. Manny’s beautiful wife Maria and son are kidnapped. He has to rely on his skills, his raw nerve, and resourcefulness in order to take down a team of drug dealers whose sole aim is to destroy him and everything he holds dear.
Currently in pre-production, principal photography on The Worker is slated to begin later this year.
In a joint statement, Handfield and Renner said, “We are huge fans of Dan Bradley, not just in his proven track record of creating groundbreaking and visceral action, but in his ability as a director to deliver an emotional experience. With incredible actors like Michael Pena, we know he will be able to create a film both spectacular and resonant. We are excited to collaborate with the team at Content Media in bringing Dan’s vision to the screen.”
Content’s President of Film Jamie Carmichael and Butterfield said: “We are thrilled to be producing the film with such great talent on both sides of the camera. The Combine and Dan have a wealth of experience in this genre along with Michael’s ability to make it an emotional story. We know the audience will want to follow along for a great ride.”
(Photo credit: WENN.com)
