Relativity Studios announced today that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights from Lotus Entertainment to the thriller Kidnap, starring Academy Award winner Halle Berry (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Monster's Ball).

This is the second acquisition announced by the studio this week, along with The Woman in Black 2. It is also yet another step in building out Relativity Studios' action thriller genre, which has seen recent profitable grosses in 3 Days to Kill and The November Man and begins production this month on D.J. Caruso's The Disapppointments Room.

Lotus Entertainment and Gold Star Films financed the film with Lotus handling international sales. This is the second significant domestic deal for Lotus and Gold Star in recent weeks, after Lionsgate acquired the North American rights to Henry Hobson's film Maggie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin.

Luis Prieto (Pusher) is attached to direct the film, based off Knate Gwaltney's first screenplay. The film is set to begin production in late fall 2014.

Di Bonaventure Pictures' Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Erik Howsam are producing the film. Executive producers are Lotus Entertainment's Bill Johnson, Jim Seibel, D.J. Gugenheim and Ara Keshishian alongside Gold Star's Joey Tufaro and Colin Bates, Knate Gwaltney, Halle Berry and her producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas through their 606 Films production banner.

The film is a heart-stopping action thriller following a mother (Berry) who will stop at nothing to rescue her kidnapped son.

Berry is represented by CAA, Vincent Cirrincione Associates, and attorney Doug Stone with Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson and Binder. Luis Prieto is represented by CAA, and Knate Gwaltney is represented by CAA and attorney Darren Trattner at Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein.

CAA packaged the project and reps the domestic rights.