Chadwick Boseman to star, Fabrice Du Welz to direct.

eOne and The Ink Factory are to co-produce and co-finance thriller Message from the King from director Fabrice Du Welz.

Chadwick Boseman, recently revealed as Marvel’s next superhero in the upcoming Black Panther, will star in the thriller set in the underbelly of present day Los Angeles.

Boseman will play Jacob King who arrives in the city from South Africa, looking for his younger sister. He has a few hundred dollars in his pocket and a return ticket home in a week. Within twenty-four hours he has found out that she has been brutally murdered.  Message from the King is the story of the next six days.

Production is expected to begin in Los Angeles in February.

“We’re thrilled to be making this film with the talented team at The Ink Factory, Fabrice du Welz and Chadwick Boseman,” said Xavier Marchand, eOne’s president, film production.

From a script by Stephen Cornwell and Oliver Butcher, the film will be co-financed by eOne and The Ink Factory with eOne handling worldwide distribution and sales.

Marchand and Benedict Carver, senior vice president, filmed entertainment, will oversee production for eOne, alongside fellow executive producers Ash Shah and Chadwick Boseman.

The Ink Factory’s Stephen Cornwell and Simon Cornwell will serve as producers together with Rumble Films’ David Lancaster.

“We are delighted to be working with Chadwick, Fabrice and eOne on this film. Chadwick’s unique talent and intelligence will bring a special combination of empathy and energy to the role, and in combination with Fabrice’s exciting vision for the film we are sure this will deliver something extraordinary. eOne has been a great advocate for the project and we are looking forward enormously to working on the film with them,” said Stephen Cornwell, who is also co-writer of the film.