Jonathan Majors is set to star in “Merciless,” an upcoming independently produced revenge thriller directed by Martin Villeneuve, brother of “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, according to an insider with knowledge of the project.
Written by Frank Hannah, the film follows a top CIA interrogator who goes down a dark path after the woman he loves is overtaken by a malevolent force. The project is Majors’ first role since he was found guilty of third-degree misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and was sentenced to a one-year, in-person domestic violence intervention program.
“Merciless” is set to begin production this fall and will be produced by “Sound of Freedom” executive producer Christopher Tuffin, who plans to unveil his new production company in full at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
“In graduate school, I had the good fortune to study screenwriting under Blacklist scribe Millard Lampell and learned from him the dangers of letting politics undermine due process and deprive artists of their careers,” Tuffin said in a statement. “I consider it an honor and a privilege to be working with Jonathan who is such a great talent now that this matter has been adjudicated.”
Tuffin will produce alongside Kevin Townsend and Kevin DeWalt, along with executive producers Amanda Delaplaine, Chris Ochs, Andrew Bates and Ben DeWalt.
Martin Villeneuve first broke into the world of film with his 2012 French-language sci-fi film “Mars & Avril.” He also directed an animated series based on the cult hit graphic novel “Red Ketchup” that aired on Adult Swim in 2023.
Majors is repped by WME. Villeneuve is repped by Gersh Agency and The Characters Talent Agency. The project was first reported by Deadline.
