Alan Ritchson is swapping Jack Reacher’s badge for a Navy SEAL’s trident, with the action star set to begin filming a military thriller on the Gold Coast this month.
The untitled feature will see Ritchson portray Mike Thornton, whose struggle for survival in the hostile waters of the South China Sea earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor. Australian director Patrick Hughes (Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, War Machine) will helm the project, which also stars Joe Cole (Subversion, A Prayer Before Dawn) and Hoa Xuande (The Sympathizer, Avatar: The Last Airbender).
Production begins in January at Village Roadshow Studios, with the project secured for Queensland through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and the Federal Government’s Location Offset.
For Hughes, the production marks a return to home soil.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to bring this project back to Australia,” the director said. “The Gold Coast offers world-class crews, facilities, and locations, making it an ideal home for a production of this scale. I’m thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland to bring this film to life.”
The project is expected to create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated $50 million into the Queensland economy.
Acting Minister for the Arts Tim Nicholls said the production signals another strong year for Queensland’s screen industry.
“With the continued backing of our incentives, the Crisafulli Government is delivering ongoing employment and economic benefits to Queensland and we are committed to ensuring our state remains number one for screen production in the country,” Minister Nicholls said.
“This latest project for Amazon MGM Studios will create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated $50 million into the Queensland economy and supporting numerous small businesses.”
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said the state’s track record with military and water-based productions made it a natural fit for Thornton’s story.
“Queensland crews have an internationally renowned reputation for delivering complex action films and series and it’s fantastic to start the new year with such an ambitious production coming into Village Roadshow Studios,” Ms Feeney said.
The film adds to a growing slate of Queensland productions for Amazon MGM Studios, which includes Balls Up, The Bluff, Voltron and Subversion.
Producers on the project include Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller under Balboa Productions, Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, Alan Ritchson’s AllyCat Entertainment, and Alan Rautbort. Executive producers are Valerie Bleth Sharp and Mike Thornton himself.
The script was written by Mark Semos (Seal Team, Y: Marshals), Alan Ritchson, and Jason Hall, whose previous credits include American Sniper and Thank You For Your Service.
The film is supported by the Australian Government through the Location Offset, the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.
