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Aubrey Plaza Joins Jason Statham in Guy Ritchie's Thriller
By Dave McNary
Dave McNary
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"Happiest Season" standout Aubrey Plaza will star opposite Jason Statham in Guy Ritchie's untitled thriller, formerly titled "Five Eyes."
Statham will portray an agent recruited by the global intelligence alliance Five Eyes to track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapon that threatens to disrupt the world order. Reluctantly paired with a high-tech CIA expert, he sets off on a globe-trotting mission to infiltrate a billionaire arms broker.
Miramax is producing and financing, and STX is distributing the movie. Ritchie will direct and produce from a screenplay written by Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, with revisions by Ritchie. Atkinson will also produce along with Bill Block for Miramax. CAA Media Finance arranged financing, and brokered the U.S., U.K. and Ireland distribution deal.
STX Films will distribute the movie directly in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, and STX International launched sales to foreign buyers at the Toronto Film Festival. STX Films handled rights on Ritchie's last pic, "The Gentlemen," which grossed $115 million at the worldwide box office.
Plaza has received strong reviews for her performance in Clea DuVall's holiday rom-com "Happiest Season." She'll next be seen in the comedy thriller "Black Bear" opposite Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro and Grantham Coleman. It is scheduled to be released on Dec. 4 by Momentum Pictures.
Plaza also wrapped Lina Roessler's "Best Sellers" opposite Michael Caine. Plaza broke out as April Ludgate on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," which ran from 2009 to 2015, and starred in the FX drama series "Legion." She starred in and produced the 2017 comedy drama "Ingrid Goes West," which won the Independent Spirit Award for best first feature.
She is repped by CAA and MGMT. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.