EXCLUSIVE
Stephen Dorff is in negotiations to star opposite Maria Bello in the indie thriller "Carjacked," an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap, which has confirmed Bello's casting through her publicist.
Peter Medak ("Species II") will direct from a script by Michael and Sherry Compton.
The story follows a single mother and her child who are carjacked by a thief who has no intention of letting them go.
Ron Perlman and Saffron Burrows were previously attached to star in an earlier incarnation of the project, and Giovanni Ribisi had also been briefly linked to the lead role.
Mass Hysteria Entertainment's Dan Grodnik is producing, while Richard Iott, Nick Thurlow and Michael Greenfield will exec produce with Eric Gozlan of Gold Rush Entertainment.
Production is scheduled to begin next month in Louisiana.
The project continues Dorff's momentum, as the "Public Enemies" actor next stars in Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere." He'll play a porn star named Dick Shadow in director Tom Brady's upcoming Sony comedy "Born to Be a Star," and he recently wrapped a key role in Tarsem Singh's "Immortals."
Bello has been pretty busy herself. The "History of Violence" actress next appears in John Wells' drama "The Company Men," and she'll also star opposite Michael Sheen in Shawn Ku's "Beautiful Boy," which will debut at the Toronto Film Festival next month. Bello is currently filming Lionsgate's Taylor Lautner thriller "Abduction," and is also set to star in Walter Hill's hit man movie "St. Vincent."
Dorff is represented by ICM, while CAA represents Bello.
