FilmDistrict has acquired luc Besson's Lockout. This is their most recent purchase since the Ryan Gosling-starring Drive. Lockout is a sci-fi actioner produced by Besson. The film stars Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, and is currently on track to go into production early next year, with a planned release date of early 2012. James Mather and Stephen St. Leger working from a script they co-wrote with Besson.
Here’s the synopsis:
“Lockout tells the story of a falsely convicted ex-government agent (Pearce) whose only chance of freedom is to accept a dangerous mission and rescue the president’s daughter (Grace) from rioting prisoners at an outer space maximum security prison.”
Essentially this is Besson’s return to Fifth Element territory, let’s not overlook the fact that Lockout will finally, at long last, provide the excellent Pearce the chance to play the role of action hero — a persona since craved since his wonderfully nuanced turn in The Proposition. In my opinion Pearce is one of the most under-rated actors of this generation gifted with an incredible range. Somebody start giving this particular "Guy" real roles.
