James McAvoy has landed the starring role in Universal Pictures’ Wanted, a sci-fi actioner that will mark the English-language debut of Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Wanted is based on a comic book series by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones published by Top Cow. The story follows a put-upon young man who discovers that his long-lost father is an assassin. After his dad is murdered, the son is recruited into a covert organization of killers and trained to follow in his father’s footsteps.
The comic is considered hard-core, and the movie probably will be rated R.
Universal-based Marc Platt set up the series in March 2004 and will produce with Jason Netter and Jim Lemley. Top Cow’s Marc Silvestri is executive producing.
The script was written by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, who wrote Universal’s “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
The trade says the movie is a priority for the studio and is anticipated to go into production in first-quarter 2007 with a budget of less than $100 million.
McAvoy’s credits include the role of Mr. Tumnus, the Faun, in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
