Open Road Films has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to A WILLING PATRIOT, which reunites the company with Liam Neeson who will star and will be financed and produced by MadRiver Pictures, along with Film 360, Hollywood Gang and Jason Keller. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films and Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures.
In the international thriller A WILLING PATRIOT, a CIA agent (Neeson) engages in an elaborate cat-and-mouse game with a sinister terrorist who’s planning an imminent attack.
Martin Zandvliet (“Land Of Mine”) will direct A WILLING PATRIOT from a script by Jason Keller, who will produce along with Film 360’s Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman as well as Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari. Film 360’s Ben Forkner, Hollywood Gang’s Shannon Gaulding and MadRiver’s Ed Fee will oversee on behalf of their respective companies.
A WILLING PATRIOT will shoot on location in South Africa, Morrocco and Tunisia with Open Road Films planning a wide release in 2016.
“Working with Liam Neeson on ‘The Grey’ was a fantastic experience and a success in every way” stated Tom Ortenberg. “A Willing Patriot, like ‘The Grey,’ is top-notch character-driven film. We are thrilled to re-team with Liam and producer Marc Butan, with whom we are working on the upcoming release of ‘Triple 9,’ on this international thriller.”
“We’re excited to be back in business with Open Road,” said Marc Butan. “They showed passion and enthusiasm for this film from day one, and we couldn’t have found a better home for it.”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by Tom Ortenberg, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Elliott Kleinberg, and Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions Peter Lawson. Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which packaged and arranged financing for the film, negotiated on behalf of MadRiver Pictures. Neeson, along with MadRiver, are represented by CAA, while Zandvliet is repped by WME. Film 360 is represented by PJ Shapiro and Julian Zafijen, and Hollywood Gang and Keller are repped by attorney Carlos Goodman. Keller is repped by CAA and Management 360.