Principal photography has begun in Toronto on Summit Entertainment’s spy-thriller Red, based on the DC Comics graphic novel of the same name by Warren Ellis.
Joining previously announced stars Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker and Academy Award®-winners Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, are two-time Academy Award®-nominee John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Academy Award®-winners Richard Dreyfuss and Ernest Borgnine, Julian McMahon, James Remar and Rebecca Pidgeon.
Red is the story of Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team (Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive.
Directed by Robert Schwentke (The Time Traveler’s Wife, Flightplan) from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber (Whiteout), the film is produced by di Bonaventura Pictures’ Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian (Salt, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Executive producers are Jake Myers (Shanghai, Hollywoodland) and Gregory Noveck (Jonah Hex). Di Bonaventura Pictures’ production executive David Ready serves as co-producer.
Red reunites director Schwentke with director of photography Florian Ballhaus (Marley & Me, The Devil Wears Prada) and Oscar-winning film editor Thom Noble (Witness, Thelma & Louise) who collaborated with Schwentke on The Time Traveler’s Wife and Flightplan. Additionally, Red production designer Alec Hammond (Donnie Darko) and costume designer Susan Lyall (Rachel Getting Married) lent their talents to Schwentke’s Flightplan as well.
“I’m so excited at the phenomenal cast that Robert and our script have attracted,” said di Boneventura. “I think audiences are going to have a great time.”
Summit’s President of Production Erik Feig said, “‘Red’ is that classic project with a little bit of something for everyone. We are thrilled to see it come to vivid life with an outstanding cast, incredibly talented director, and top notch producing team. It’s gonna be a good one!”
Red will film in and around the Toronto metropolitan area for nine weeks before moving on to the road and ending in New Orleans in late March for the final two weeks of principal photography. The film is scheduled for worldwide release on October 22, 2010.
