Steven Soderbergh has chosen his next project, Knockout, to be financed and produced by Relativity Media, the studio announced.
Soderbergh will direct the film, as well as produce alongside his producing partner, Gregory Jacobs, and Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh. Lem Dobbs has been tapped to write the screenplay. Dobbs and Soderbergh previously collaborated on The Limey. Relativity’s Tucker Tooley will serve as executive producer. Production is slated to begin in February 2010. Knockout is an action-packed, female spy story in the vein of The Bourne Identity. All other plot details are being kept under wraps. Martial arts breakout star Gina Carano is in talks to join the cast.
In an arrangement very unique to the industry, Soderbergh will forgo his upfront salary, and retain ownership of the film, along with RML.
"We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with a world-class filmmaker like Steven on this project, which is clearly in his sweet spot," said Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of Relativity Media. "Steven’s deal is structured to help control the budget and align the filmmaker and studio to play for the upside. As Steven is sure to make a movie that delivers, we all succeed. More and more filmmakers understand this model, which perfectly pairs our mutual interest. This is the future."
"Audiences have spoken- they want cool, fresh, action-packed content, and this film hits that target," says Tucker Tooley, Relativity Media’s President of Production. "This deal creates a true partnership between Relativity and Steven, where, together, we will make a mainstream action film with universal appeal for a reasonable budget, and with the incentives for the studio and filmmaker totally aligned."
Soderbergh, whose latest film The Informant makes its premiere at the 2009 Venice Film Festival, is repped by Anonymous Content’s Michael Sugar.
