Renny Harlin has signed on to direct the action-thriller Fallen Cross for Belgian production and financing group Umedia. The film is set to go into production in winter 2014.
Fallen Cross centers on Timothy Cole, a reformed ex-mafia enforcer who is in a desperate struggle to protect his family from the crime syndicate he once served, the Chicago Cross. But first he must find a way to escape from prison and return to his ruthless killer ways to cut down the Cross before they can get to his children.
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Umedia’s Adrian Politowski and Karl Richards will produce. David Christopher O’Neill wrote the screenplay.
“Fallen Cross is a thrilling, smart and character-driven story with the kind of deep emotions and bad-ass action that I love to get my hands on,” Harlin said, adding: “I am extremely excited to be building a franchise around these intriguing characters.”
Said Politowski, who is CEO of Umedia: “Renny is a perfect match for this hard-hitting, fast-paced action movie. Throughout his illustrious career, he has consistently delivered in this genre.”
The movie joins a Umedia development slate that also includes Universal War One, based on the Marvel comic books and being adapted by Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine); action heist movie Risk, directed by Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious); and the romantic comedy Priceless, directed by Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone).
UTA-repped Harlin most recently directed The Legend of Hercules starring Kellan Lutz. His other helming credits include Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger.
