John Boyega, Felicity Jones, Jack Reynor and Jodie Turner Smith are set to star in a new thriller called “Borderland” set during the time of Ireland’s IRA, or the Irish Republican Army, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Thomas and Charles Guard, better known as The Guard Brothers (“The Uninvited”), will direct the feature from a script they co-wrote with Ronan Bennett (“Public Enemies”). The story is inspired by the non-fiction book “The Road To Balcombe Street: The IRA Reign of Terror in London” by Steven S. Moysey, which was published in 2008 and is a true-crime thriller about an IRA unit placed in deep cover in London.
In “Borderland,” after a border ambush goes wrong, an Irish paramilitary, Michael (Reynor), witnesses the shooting of his pregnant wife at the hands of an SAS sergeant Tempest (Boyega). When Tempest is sent back to London to lead a covert counter-terrorist operation, Michael joins a ruthless active service unit (ASU) wreaking havoc in the capitol. For Michael, the mission is personal – to hunt down Tempest – and he’ll stop at nothing to avenge his wife’s death.
The film plans to shoot on location in the UK in early 2021.
Rocket Science is representing the sales rights and financing the film, and Endeavor Content is co-representing the sales rights. Chris Coen, Rebecca Brown and Felicity Jones’s Piecrust Productions will produce along with Rocket Science. Jones will serve as an executive producer.
“‘Borderland’ is a vengeance fuelled chase movie, fusing some pulse ticking action with a powerful message for our times. We’re thrilled that the script, driven as much by character as it is by plot, has attracted such a first rate cast.” the Guard Brothers said in a statement.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Rocket Science putting the film together and I couldn’t be more excited to get this prodigious project into production later this year. The Guard Brothers make for a terrific team who are assembling a formidable cast and crew,” producer Chris Coen said in a statement.
“Star Wars” actor Boyega is represented by Identity Agency Company, Sloane Offer, Weber & Dern. Reynor, who last starred in “Midsommar,” is represented by WME. Turner Smith, who broke out in last year’s “Queen & Slim,” is represented by UTA and Untitled Entertainment. Jones, who last starred in “The Aeronauts,” is represented by WME, Independent Talent and Peikhoff Mahan. The Guard Brothers are represented by United Agents and WME.
Deadline first reported the news of the project.