Gerard Butler is set to re-team with his director from “Angel Has Fallen” and “Greenland” on a new action film called “Kandahar” that is launching sales at the Cannes Virtual Market.
Ric Roman Waugh will direct the film from a script he co-wrote with Mitchell LaFortune, a former military intelligence officer, based on LaFortune’s own experiences at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Afghanistan at the time of the Edward Snowden leaks.
In “Kandahar,” Butler stars as an undercover CIA operative working in the Middle East who is stuck in the region after an intelligence leak exposes his identity and his classified mission. He must fight his way out of Kandahar all while elite special forces pursue him. The film plans to shoot on location in the Middle East.
Thunder Road Films’ Basil Iwanyk and Eric Lee are producing the film along with Butler and G-BASE’s Alan Siegel and Christian Mercuri of Capstone Group. Rob Moran, Brendon Boyea and Jonathan Fuhrman serve as executive producers.
Capstone is co-financing “Kandahar” and is representing international sales at the Cannes Virtual Market, while CAA Media Finance is handling domestic rights and arranged the financing.
“It’s rare to find the combination of such undeniable talent like we have on Kandahar with Gerard, Alan, Ric and Basil. Add in an amazing action script and you have a feature film that sets the bar very high. I am delighted to work with the whole Kandahar team and to bring this film to the marketplace,” Mercuri said in a statement.
“We are so thrilled to be able to bring the Greenland band back together again. Mitch’s script has always been a jewel in our slate, and to have this team bring it to life is a dream come true for us,” Iwanyk said in a statement.
Butler first worked with Waugh, a former stunt man, on the action sequel “Angel Has Fallen,” and the two teamed up again on the disaster thriller “Greenland,” which STX recently announced it will be releasing in theaters this July.
Deadline first reported the news of the project.