Twilight‘s Ashley Greene has signed on to star alongside Pierce Brosnan in the thriller Urge.
The independently financed feature marks the directorial debut of veteran film producer Aaron Kaufman (Machete, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Chef).
The story revolves around Theresa (Greene) and her group of friends who escape on an island destination weekend and find themselves unable to resist trying a new designer drug. The drug appears to be perfect. However, the group discovers its one major side effect: It makes people lose the ability to control their urges. Brosnan will play the creator and gatekeeper of the drug.
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“Ashley Greene brings the gravitas and intensity that the role of Theresa demands,” Kaufman said. “I am very excited to collaborate with her.”
Bridgeworks Media Capital, TCI and Tresoro Ventures are financing the film, which begins shooting in New York later this month. Skip Williamson (Underworld) and Mark Neveldine (Crank) are producing through their Blackmrkt Incorporated banner. Tim Smith, Alastair Burlingham, Lee Vandermolen, Yoram Barzilai, Frank Martinez, Anthony Gudas, Clay Pecorin, Peter Fruchtman and Russell Geyser are executive producing.
IM Global has come aboard to handle international sales for the film.
Greene, who is best known for playing Alice Cullen in The Twilight Saga, most recently was seen in Burying the Ex, which premiered in September at the Venice Film Festival. Past film credits include Wish I Was Here and Butter.
She is repped by CAA, McKeon-Myones Management and Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown.
Email: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27
