Principal photography begins Saturday (July 21, 2012) on Robert Luketic’s (21) currently-titled Paranoia, Reliance Entertainment and IM Global announced today. In addition Demarest Films, a financing and production company which was launched in April by Lambert Media Group’s Michael Lambert and Sam Englebardt and William D. Johnson have joined the $40 million picture as co-financier and co-producer, while Beijing’s E Stars Entertainment will co-finance. Paranoia will be distributed in the U.S. by Relativity Media.
This high-tech corporate espionage thriller is directed by Robert Luketic (21) and stars Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Oscar®-nominee Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Oscar®-nominee Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class), Amber Heard (The Rum Diary), Embeth Davidtz (The Amazing Spider-Man), Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Josh Holloway (Lost) and Oscar®-winner Richard Dreyfuss (Red).
Paranoia is being produced by Alexandra Milchan of Emjag Productions, William D. Johnson of Demarest Films and Deepak Nayar of Kintop Reliance, Reliance’s joint production venture with Kintop Pictures. IM Global CEO Stuart Ford, Scott Lambert of Film 360, Sam Englebardt of Demarest Films, Allen Liu of E Stars, Douglas Urbanski, Christophe Riandee of Gaumont, Ryan Kavanaugh and Tucker Tooley of Relativity Media will serve as executive producers.
Said IM Global CEO Ford, “Reliance and IM Global are delighted that Demarest Films and E Stars have joined us as partners on the eve of what promises to be an exciting project for all of us.”
Producer William D. Johnson of Demarest Films said, “The creative team behind Paranoia as well as our producing partners at IM Global and Kintop Reliance will no doubt bring this thriller to life on the big screen. This is the type of film Demarest is looking to get involved in – commercially viable projects which will evoke audiences in the U.S. and abroad.”
Relativity acquired U.S. rights to market and distribute Paranoia on the eve of Cannes Film Festival, with IM Global handling international distribution. The film is set to debut in U.S. theatres on September 27, 2013.
Collaborating with Luketic behind the scenes is a top-notch below-the-line creative team including: director of photography David Tattersall (The Green Mile), production designer David Brisbin (Sinister), art director Scott Anderson (Win Win), costume designer Luca Mosca (21), editor Dany Cooper (Queen of the Damned), and stunt coordinator Stephen Pope (Secrets, Dreams, Faith and Wonder: Mass for the New Millennium). Filming will take place on location in Philadelphia and New York City.
In this high-stakes thriller, Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) is an ambitious junior technologist trying to climb the ranks of telecom giant Wyatt Corporation. But after one costly mistake, Adam is blackmailed by ruthless CEO Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman) to turn corporate spy by going to work for the firm’s top competitor, which is run by Wyatt’s old mentor, Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford). Adam soon finds himself delivered into prepackaged success, living his fantasy life of old-world boardrooms, private clubs, exotic cars, and all the spoils of Manhattan bachelorhood. However, behind the scenes, he is merely a pawn in Wyatt’s power play, and must search for a way out from under his boss, who will stop at nothing, even murder, to gain a multi-billion dollar advantage.
The screenplay, based on the novel Paranoia by Joseph Finder, was written by Jason Dean Hall (Spread) from a previous draft by Barry Levy (Vantage Point).