CANNES -- Renny Harlin will direct the action thriller "Run," set to begin shooting in Rome in October under the banner of L.A.-based Pierce/Williams Entertainment, the project's international distributor Arclight Films confirmed Saturday.

Harlin's attachment to the film was announced by Arclight's managing director Gary Hamilton. "We're thrilled to have a director of Renny's caliber on board to direct the film," Hamilton said. " 'Run' will feature some of the most complex car-chase scenes to hit the cinema in years, and no one understands action better than Renny."

The film tells the story of a rookie Interpol agent who pulls over an unsuspecting motorist for a traffic violation in Rome, triggering an unrelenting car chase that catapults the city into chaos.

As the Marche du Film reaches the halfway mark, Arclight already has presold the film to Japan (Presido Corporation and Movie Eye); Germany (Telepool); Scandinava (Nordisk); Eastern Europe (Paradise); Benelux (Dutchfilmworks); Indonesia (PT Menara); the Middle East (Gulf Films); and Portugal (Castello Lopez).

"The market response to this film has been tremendous," said Jonathan Deckter, Arclight's newly appointed president of international sales. " 'Run' has sold faster than anything in Arclight's history."

Harlin will next direct "The Northmen" for Morgan Creek Prods. His previous films include "Die Hard 2: Die Harder," "Cliffhanger," "Deep Blue Sea" and "Exorcist:The Beginning."

Arclight Films is an international sales and production company with offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, Toronto and London headed by Hamilton and Victor Syrmis.