Nicholas Hoult (upcoming EQUALS, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD), Luke Evans (FURIOUS 7, THE HOBBIT film series) and Henry Cavill (upcoming BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, MAN OF STEEL) are set to star in the intense war drama SAND CASTLE, produced by Oscar nominated Mark Gordon (STEVE JOBS, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) of The Mark Gordon Company, Justin Nappi (ARBITRAGE, ALL IS LOST) through his company Treehouse Pictures and Ben Pugh (upcoming COLLIDE, WELCOME TO THE PUNCH) of 42, it was announced today.
Set in Iraq circa 2003, SAND CASTLE is based on Roessner’s experience as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. The story centers on Matt Ocre (Hoult) who is part of a mission to repair a broken water system in the dangerous and unstable Iraqi village of Baqubah. While the people of Baghdad welcome the Americans as saviors, the villagers resist their presence and Matt and his unit must try to convince the community that they are part of the solution, not the problem in order to save the town and get out alive.
Treehouse Pictures is fully financing the film which Gordon has shepherded from its inception.
SAND CASTLE was written by Chris Roessner and will be directed by Fernando Coimbra, whose recent credits include Netflix’s critically acclaimed ‘Narcos’ and A WOLF AT THE DOOR, which won the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for best picture. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (upcoming MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and TAKE SHELTER) is serving as executive producer.
Voltage Pictures is handling international sales for the film and will present the film to buyers next month at the American Film Market. Producers currently hold US rights.
Principal photography is set to start on November 2.
“It took little convincing for me to come on board to produce this extraordinary and gripping film which so accurately depicts the intricacies of real people in extreme circumstances. I am excited about our amazing lead cast who, in the hands of our masterful director Fernando, will deliver the most powerful performances of their careers. Nicholas, Luke and Henry are a dream team, as are my fellow producers Mark and Ben.” said Nappi.
Added producer Gordon, “Chris was my assistant and we worked on the script together for some time. It’s very exciting to see the movie come together with a wonderfully talented director and an amazing cast.”
Nicholas Hoult’s breakthrough performance was playing the role of Marcus Brewster opposite Hugh Grant in the critically acclaimed ABOUT A BOY. He has since then starred in Tom Ford’s A SINGLE MAN, the world-wide box office hit film series X-MEN, Jonathan Levine’s WARM BODIES, and most recently MAD MAX: FURY ROAD starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy. He will next be seen in Drake Doremus’ EQUALS opposite Kristen Stewart and X-MEN: APOCALYPSE opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender to be released in May, 2016 by Twentieth Century Fox.
Luke Evans recently wrapped shooting on Bill Condon’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST starring Emma Watson, Emma Thompson and Ian McKellen. His other film credits include Ben Wheatley’s HIGH-RISE starring Tom Hiddleston, global box office hit films FURIOUS 6 & 7 starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT and DRACULA UNTOLD starring Dominic Cooper.
Henry Cavill can be seen in Guy Ritchie’s THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., which is currently in theaters. He will next be seen in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE where he will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent. His other film credits include IMMORTALS where he first worked with Luke Evans, Woody Allen’s WHATEVER WORKS starring Larry David and Showtime’s Golden Globe nominated ‘The Tudors.’
Nicholas Hoult is repped by 42, UTA and Fred Toczek. Luke Evans is repped by WME and United Agents in the UK. Henry Cavill is repped by United Agents in the UK and CAA in the US and his attorney is David Weber of Sloane Offer Weber & Dern.
