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Armie Hammer,

Ben Wheatley & Martin Scorsese's FREE FIRE has started shooting and full cast finally announced! - Film Updates #freefire

File this under AWESOME! It's no secret we are huge fans of the very talented @mr_wheatley and are always keeping an eye out on his activities as we suspect that the man is soon to be revered as a very serious British talent and force to be reckoned with in the creative arts world.

Earlier this year we reached out to director Ben Wheatley for an update on his eagerly anticipated upcoming adaptation of J. G. Ballard's High-Rise. And were surprised when he gave us an exclusive High-Rise update (well exclusive if you aren't on Twitter that is) and let us know that:

Well today we got a proper update on his latest feature film - Free Fire AND MARTIN SCORSESE HAS COME ON BOARD TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE! We have been very, very excited about Free Fire for a long time as it has a really dark gritty feel about it. Not gritty as we have come to know in this modern PC age but the kind of gritty you could expect from a hardboiled, film noir, hard hitting crime thriller straight out of the 70's. A genre of film that I love. And Wheatley has done nothing to dissuade that feeling if you follow his Twitter stream.


Below is the very early sales art poster for Free Fire that Wheatley released onto Twitter a while back.

Free Fire 3 Crates of semi automatic assault Rifles. 2 Large bags of money. 1 Bullet away from freedom.”

Free Fire Concept Art Poster (ZOOM)

Although Wheatley has brought on a talented and diversely compelling cast that includes: Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley, Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson, Jack Reynor, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor, Enzo Cilenti and Babou Ceesay I'm not going to lie, a large part of what had me very excited about Free Fire was Luke Evans' involvement.

Free Fire Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival. Director: Ben Wheatley Writers: Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump Stars: Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley, Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson, Jack Reynor, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor, Enzo Cilenti,Babou Ceesay RELATED Ben Wheatley talks High-Rise See: An inspiring talk from Ben Wheatley A Field in England Premiere - Photoset Sightseers Premiere - Photoset

Evans worked with Wheatley on High-Rise and he was set to collaborate again on Free Fire. I believe Evans is a huge talent that will flourish once he has found his unique groove. I thought Free Fire would be the right material for his intensity level. Sadly this is not to be. Even more sad is that this seems the second time that Evans has not been involved in a role that seems to be a custom fit for him as he was originally cast in the role that Ryan Gosling played in Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives.

Anyhoo here is the official update in its entirety:

FREE FIRE - SHOOTING HAS COMMENCED / FULL CAST ANNOUNCED
Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson, Jack Reynor, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor, Enzo Cilenti and Babou Ceesay join Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy and Michael Smiley in Ben Wheatley’s explosive action thriller Free Fire

Martin Scorsese is executive producing the film

Principal photography began yesterday on Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. Film4 and the BFI back the film, STUDIOCANAL have rights in the UK and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) have territories including Australia / New Zealand, Latin America, Scandinavia and Spain. Protagonist Pictures are handling international sales. WME is co-representing the North American sale with Protagonist and Film4.

Andy Starke and Ben Wheatley’s Rook Films is producing the film set in Boston in the late seventies. Larson plays a woman who has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen (Murphy and Smiley) and a gang (led by Hammer and Copley) who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart-stopping game of survival ensues. The film is written by Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump.

Ben Wheatley (@mr_wheatley), who has just completed his dystopian epic High-Rise starring Tom Hiddleston and Sienna Miller, is fast becoming one of the UK’s most revered filmmakers after a string of signature movies including Sightseers, Kill List and A Field In England.

Sharlto Copley (@sharlto) exploded onto the world stage after his breakthrough performance in Neill Blomkamp’s District 9. He went on to star in Blomkamp’s Elysium and Chappie as well as major pictures such as Maleficent, Oldboy and The A-Team. He has his own TV series ‘Powers’ on the Playstation Network.

Brie Larson is fast becoming one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood after a string of breakout roles in 21 Jump Street, The Spectacular Now, Don Jon and most notably Short Term 12 for which she won a Gotham Award, she was nominated for Independent Spirit and Critics Choice Awards and was named best actress at the Locarno Film Festival. She recently starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in Paramount’s The Gambler and has the lead role in the keenly anticipated feature of the bestselling novel Room.

Irish actor Jack Reynor (@jackreynor) became a name to watch in Hollywood after snagging the lead role in Michael Bay’s $1bn blockbuster Transformers: Age Of Extinction. He was also the recipient of the best actor award for his performance in Glassland at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. He has recently been on UK screens in A Royal Night Out and in Cannes in Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth. He also has Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture and John Carney’s Sing Street coming soon. His upcoming shooting schedule includes HHHH and in Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book: Origins.

Sam Riley’s startling and multi award winning debut performance as Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn’s Control immediately led the British actor to a string of critically acclaimed leading and high profile roles in Brighton Rock, On the Road, Byzantium, Suite Francaise and Maleficent. He will next be seen in the upcoming The Dark Valley and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Since his mesmerising break out role in The Year My Voice Broke, Noah Taylor’s impressive body of work includes films from cinematic legends such as Cameron Crowe, Wes Anderson, Tim Burton and Terence Malick. He continues to build his career encompassing all genres across TV and Film including Almost Famous, Shine, Vanilla Sky, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Submarine and The Edge of Tomorrow.

Enzo Cilenti (@EnzoCilenti) recently worked with Wheatley on High-Rise and can currently be seen in ‘Game of Thrones’ and “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’.

Babou Ceesay’s (@babouceesay) credits include ‘A.D The Bible Continues’ and ’71.

Other new cast additions include Patrick Bergin (Patriot Games, Sleeping with the Enemy), Tom Davis (The Guvnors, ‘Murder in Successville’) and Mark Monero (Wild Bill).

Armie Hammer’s past credits include Social Network, J. Edgar and the upcoming Man From U.N.C.L.E.- for Warner Bros, directed by Guy Ritchie. Hammer is represented by WME and Sloane Offer Weber & Dern. Cillian Murphy’s diverse roles include the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, ‘Peaky Blinders’, Inception and Batman Begins.

Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund says,

It’s a testament to the way Ben makes his films and works with actors that he's attracted such a first-class international cast to strap on the squibs for FREE FIRE. And Scorsese for heaven's sake... We're very excited.”

David Kosse, Director of Film4, says:

Ben is one of our most exciting and original filmmakers and a great example of the bold British talent we want to support at Film4. What better way to continue our long-standing collaboration with him and Rook films than this explosive thriller.”

Luke Evans and Olivia Wilde had previously been attached to the film but had to drop out over scheduling changes.

We can expect Free Fire to blast its way into cinemas in 2016.