Leading independent financing, production and sales company IM Global will fully finance Dead Man Down, to be produced by Neal H. Moritz's Original Film and screenwriter J.H. Wyman of Frequency Films, it was announced today by IM Global founder and CEO Stuart Ford and Moritz.
Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will direct the $30 million action thriller, which stars Colin Farrell (Total Recall, Horrible Bosses, Miami Vice, S.W.A.T.) and Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows).
Moritz (The Fast and the Furious franchise, I Am Legend, xXx) will produce alongside screenwriter J.H. Wyman (Fringe, The Mexican). Original's Ori Marmur will executive produce with Reid Shane of Frequency.
Following the cinematic phenomenon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, director Oplev and leading lady Rapace reunite for another thrilling tale of vengeance, with Colin Farrell joining the prestigious team as Victor, right hand man to an underground crime lord in New York City who is seduced and blackmailed by Beatrice (Rapace), a crime victim seeking retribution. Their intense chemistry leads them spiraling into payback delivered in violent catharsis.
Dead Man Down, a powerful action thriller and portrait of two people caught in the crosshairs of revenge, is scheduled to start shooting in early 2012.
Moritz comes off the back of a busy year, mounting the high profile films, 21 Jump Street andTotal Recall, which also stars Farrell, for Sony; Jack the Giant Killer for Warner Bros., and R.I.P.D. for Universal.
In addition to directing the original version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Oplev also directed CBS' Unforgettable pilot episode which received a full season pick up. Oplev is represented by ICM and Curtis Brown in the UK.
Writer and producer Wyman currently serves as the executive producer and co-show runner of Fox's hit series Fringe. He previously wrote and produced The Mexican starring Brad Pitt. He has since created several television shows, including Keen Eddie.
Rapace starred as Lisbeth Salander to much critical praise in the original Millennium trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). The films have garnered her many accolades. She is upcoming in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows as the female lead opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law and is the lead in Ridley Scott's highly anticipated film Prometheus releasing in June 2012. She is represented by Magnolia Entertainment, UTA, and attorney Howard Fishman.
Said Ford, "Dead Man Down is a terrific script and we're thrilled to be in business with a producer of Neal's caliber and such high profile talent as Niels, Colin and Noomi."
Said Moritz, "I could not be any more excited about Dead Man Down and the team we have assembled. J.H. Wyman has written a terrific script, Colin and Noomi are perfect casting and Niels is a truly gifted filmmaker. My partners at IM Global and I look forward to delivering a terrific action thriller to the marketplace."