Anthony Mackie and Dafne Keen have been cast in the action-thriller Barracuda.
The pair have signed up to star in the new movie from director Neil Burger – whose previous credits include Divergent and The Illusionist – that is also set to feature Steven Bauer and Anthony Del Negro.
Production gets underway in New Mexico this week, with Burger directing from a screenplay written by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes.
A synopsis for Barracuda: "When Karl (Mackie), a former smuggler with a haunted past, storms a nightclub in Mexico to rescue Jodie (Keen), a kidnapped teenage girl, he ignites a chain reaction of blood and bullets that burns across 100 miles of deadly roads towards the US border.
"The breakout turns into a high-speed race when Karl kills the brother of the ruthless club owner and steals his prized 1973 Plymouth Barracuda. Now hunted by relentless criminals, Karl and Jodie tear across the desert with no way to slow down."
The flick is being produced by Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier and Henry Winterstern for Highland Film Group – which is handling worldwide rights for the movie.
Burger said in a statement: "I've been looking to make a non-stop action thriller and I've finally found it with this great screenplay.
"This one never lets up. It's out-of-control, relentless mayhem in a real-time sprint to the border. I've also been wanting to work with Anthony Mackie for some time and know we'll make a great team. As with Limitless and Inheritance, I'm inventing new visual techniques to make this movie a truly wild ride."
Fraser added: "Neil Burger has a proven track record for directing films with a striking visual style and pacing. Barracuda promises to be the next display of his superlative visionary skill as a filmmaker."
Perrier said: "We are delighted that Anthony Mackie, an actor so beloved by audiences worldwide, has joined the team to bring this adrenaline-packed film to life on the big screen.
"He is the ideal actor to give our hero Karl, that perfect blend of cunning, physical prowess and deeply human vulnerability that the role requires."
Mackie portrays Sam Wilson/Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and has teased that the upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday will give fans "that old Marvel feeling" when it is released later this year.
The 47-year-old star told IGN last year: "We're kicking on down the road, so everybody's getting excited and we're getting the band back together.
"We’re supposed to go out this week, and we’ll be out there doing it. Everybody’s excited. I feel with the script and having the Russo brothers back, it’s going to be great.
"I’m really excited for what this project is going to be. It’s going to give the audience that old Marvel feeling that they always had."
