Actors Clive Owen and Anil Kapoor will star in Cities, a financial thriller that will be directed by Roger Donaldson.
Lisa Wilson’s Parlay Films is handling international sales and will launch the project at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Matthew Metcalfe and Chris Curling are producing.
Cities is described as a cautionary tale about greed and ambition that takes place on a global scale in three colliding story lines set in the exuberant months leading up to the Dow Jones all-time stock market high. The three involve a New York-based hedge fund manager (Owen) who has everything he wants — money, sex and power — but he wants more; a young couple in London that just wants to buy their first home, something that seems impossibly out of reach; and Mumbai cop fights against corruption between property speculators and his colleagues, one of whom will be played by Kapoor.
Donaldson co-wrote the script from an original script titled Extreme Cities, written by Glenn Wilhide.
The company is setting an October start for a shoot that will take place in London, Mumbai and New York.
UTA’s Independent Film Group helped to package the film and structure the financing and will represent domestic rights with CAA.
Julie Christie will executive produce alongside Eyeworks New Zealand, who will partner on the production.
Donaldson, repped by CAA, last directed The Bank Job and is in post on Hungry Rabbit Jumps.
CAA-repped Owen next stars in The Killer Elite with Jason Statham, while Kapoor, repped by ICM, is best known for his work on Slumdog Millionaire and will be seen in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.
