■ Walter Hill, based known for raging in the 70s with cult urban thriller, The Warriors, and other classics like Hard Times, Streets Of Fire, Red Heat, 48 Hrs and Another 48 Hrs., will write and direct Dead For A Dollar, starring Christoph Waltz and Willem Dafoe. Myriad Pictures is launching sales on the Western thriller which takes place in New Mexico Territory, Chihuahua, in 1897, and sees Waltz portray Max, a famed bounty hunter hired to find and return the politically progressive wife of a successful Santa Fe businessman. When he learns the truth behind her disappearance with the African American army deserter, Elijah Jones, and is being held for ransom in Mexico. When Max goes south of the border he soon runs across his sworn enemy, expatriate American Joe Cribbens (Dafoe), a professional gambler, sometime outlaw, who Max had tracked down and sent to prison years before. When Borlund finds Rachel and Elijah hiding deep in the wilds of the Mexican desert, he discovers that Rachel has willingly fled from an abusive husband, and the runaway soldier is, in fact, her romantic partner. Max is now faced with a dilemma: does he return the wife back across the border to the man who hired him, or does he aid Rachel’s bid for freedom and fight off ruthless hired guns and his longtime criminal rival.” (Deadline)
■ John Williams’s own 1960 novel, Butcher’s Crossing, is now subject to a feature film adaptation that will have Nicolas Cage set to star. Directed by Gabe Polsky from a script he wrote with Liam Satre-Meloy, the film centers on a young Harvard dropout who “seeks his destiny out West by tying his fate to a team of buffalo hunters led by Miller (Cage). Together, they embark on a harrowing journey risking life and sanity.” Polsky is producing along with Molly Conners of Phiphen Pictures, and Will Clarke and Andy Mayson of Altitude Film Entertainment, with Cage’s Saturn Films also producing. (Deadline)
■ Filmmaker Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero, Tai Chi Hero, Into The Badlands, Wu Assassins) will direct his own iteration of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count Of Monte Cristo with actor Jack Huston (Fargo, House Of Gucci) set to star from his own script. Constantin Film is handling sales on the Asia/U.S.-set pic which centers on “Nicolas Cristo, a man broken, betrayed and locked away for over a decade, fighting to bring justice to a world even more cruel and corrupt than the one that was taken from him.” (Deadline)
■ Acclaimed Thomas Bidegain (A Prophet, Rust And Bone, Palme d’Or winner Dheepan) will make his directorial debut with Suddenly, a survival thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Vanessa Kirby. Based on Isabelle Autissier’s French-language novel, Suddenly “follows a couple who become stranded on an island in the South Atlantic and must fight for survival when their dream journey becomes a nightmare.” Studiocanal is shopping the pic at the Cannes market (Deadline)
■ English-language World War II revenge drama Plan A is on the move with Menemsha Films handling North American and Canadian rights from international sales agent, Global Screen. August Diehl (“A Hidden Life,” “Inglourious Basterds”) and Sylvia Hoeks (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Girl in the Spider’s Web”) star in the Yoav and Doron Paz-directed film about a Jewish Holocaust survivor who joins a band of resistance fighters to hatch a monstrous plan for retribution against the Nazis that robbed them of their futures and murdered their families. (Variety)
■ Mat Newman’s crime thriller, No Place Like Kill, is taking shape for buyers at the Cannes market from London-based Anton. Newman (editor, Only God Forgives, Drive, Without Remorse, Sicario: Day Of The Soldado) makes his debut from a script he wrote with Ben Newman, telling the story of vengeful mercenary and a police informant who must join forces when they find themselves being hunted down by a murderous drug lord on the streets of Northern England. Pic hails from Sunrise Films and Moonage Pictures for a UK shoot later this year. (Variety)
■ Sam Worthington is set to star in crime thriller, Transfusion, from actor, writer and debut filmmaker Matt Nable. Principal photography is already underway in Australia with Worthington joined by Phoebe Tonkin (“The Vampire Diaries”) for a story “about a former Special Forces operative who finds himself in a criminal underworld as he tries to keep his son from being abducted.” John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz of Deeper Water Films are producing with Cailah Scobie from Stan and Paul Wiegard from Madman Entertainment exec produce, and Altitude Media’s Will Clarke, Andy Mayson and Mike Runagall also exec producing. (THR)
■ Actress, stunt performer, martial artist and social media influencer Shaina West (a.k.a. The Samurider) (upcoming Marvel’s Black Widow) will make her lead acting debut in Jade, from stunt multi-hyphenate James Bamford (CW’s Arrow, the Berlantiverse) in his own debut at the helm. All Rights Entertainment is handling rights sales on the pic which sees West in the role of “a woman who comes between a powerful businessman and a gang leader in their search for a hard drive that could damage the operations of Interpol. Despite grieving for the brother she accidentally killed, the woman is required to use her unique set of skills to retrieve the drive and protect her brother’s unborn child being carried by another woman.” Principal photography in New Mexico has since wrapped ahead of release in 2022. (Variety)