Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley and Tahar Rahim are set to join Benedict Cumberbatch in “Prisoner 760,” directed by Kevin Macdonald. STXinternational will be introducing the film to buyers at the American Film Market.
The movie tells the true story of a fight for survival against all odds. Captured by the U.S. government, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Rahim) languishes in prison for years without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Slahi finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Woodley). Together, they face countless obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor Lt. Stuart Couch (Cumberbatch), eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy.
The film is based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s New York Times best-selling memoir “Guantánamo Diary.” Principal photography is set to commence in South Africa on Dec. 2. Macdonald is directing from a screenplay by Michael Bronner, a former “60 Minutes” producer with extensive experience bringing true stories to the big screen having previously provided expertise and research for Paul Greengrass’s “United 93,” “Green Zone” and “Captain Phillips.” Revisions are by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (“The Informer”).
Cumberbatch is producing with Adam Ackland and Leah Clarke for their company SunnyMarch, alongside Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin for Black Sheep Pictures, Mark Holder and Christine Holder through their newly formed venture Wonder Street and Branwen Prestwood-Smith. Michael Bronner also serves as producer.
Financiers are 30WEST and Topic Studios in partnership with BBC Films, which also developed the project. Executive producers are 30WEST principals Micah Green, Dan Steinman and Dan Friedkin, Topic Studios’ Maria Zuckerman and Ryan Heller, and BBC Films’ Rose Garnett. Larry Siems and Mohamedou Ould Slahi serve as co-producers.
STXinternational has secured the international rights and will be directly distributing in the U.K. and Ireland.
UTA Independent Film Group helped structure the financing on behalf of the filmmakers and are representing the U.S. sale with 30WEST.
Foster is a two-time Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winner, and is best known for her roles in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Contact.” Rahim was nominated for a BAFTA for his performance in Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet.” Woodley recently earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her role in “Big Little Lies” and is best known for portraying Tris in the “Divergent” series. Cumberbatch was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in “The Imitation Game” and Macdonald won an Academy Award for “One Day in September.”
Rahim can next be seen in “The Serpent” for Netflix/BBC, where he plays the title role of notorious serial killer Charles “The Serpent” Sobhraj, currently filming, and Damien Chazelle’s “The Eddy” for Netflix.
Foster is repped by CAA, Matt Saver and Viewpoint. Woodley is repped by Management 360 and Hyperion. Cumberbatch and SunnyMarch are repped by UTA, Sloane Offer and Conway van Gelder Grant in the U.K. Rahim is repped by UTA and Relevant.