Gerard Butler

Source: Flickr

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler, hot off independent summer hit Angel Has Fallen, will star for MadRiver Pictures and Di Bonaventura Pictures in action thriller The Plane, which Kim Fox of MadRiver International will introduce to AFM buyers next week.

Charles Cumming and JP Davis (Violence Of Action) wrote the screenplay based on the book by Cumming. Di Bonaventura Pictures’ Lorenzo di Bonvaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing with MadRiver Pictures’ Marc Butan and Ara Keshishian, and Butler and Alan Siegel under their G-BASE banner.

The Plane takes place in real time and stars Butler as a commercial pilot who must keep his passengers and crew safe after he lands his stricken aircraft in a war zone and finds himself caught between multiple militia who are planning to take the plane and its passengers hostage.

CAA Media Finance represents US rights and the producers have earmarked a production start in the second quarter of 2020.

Fox’s sales slate includes What Is Life Worth starring Michael Keaton, currently in post-production; Waldo starring Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam, in post; Scott Z. Burns’ awards contender The Report starring Adam Driver and set to open theatrically through Amazon Studios on November 15; and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which STX will distribute on January 24.

Di Bonaventura Pictures has produced the Transformers, G.I. Joe and Red franchises; The Meg for Warner Bros; and Salt starring Angelina Jolie. Among the upcoming releases are Infinite starring Mark Wahlberg, Sophie Cookson and Chiwetel Ejofor for Paramount; and G.I. Joe spin-off Snake Eyes from Robert Schwentke starring Henry Golding.