Fresh off an Best Actor Emmy for his role in the miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys,” Kevin Costner has signed on to a new Secret Service action film from scribes Luc Besson and Adi Hasak. Director McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation) has also signed up to direct. The untitled thriller is being produced by Relativity Media and EuropeCorp, which are also teaming on the crime-drama Malavita (coming in 2013).
The Hollywood Reporter states the project “explores a story about Secret Service agent Ethan Runner, who discovers he’s dying and decides to retire in order to reconnect with his estranged family. But when the Secret Service offers him access to an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment, he soon finds himself trying to juggle his family, his mission and the drug’s hallucinatory side effects.”
This latest flick is the third action-thriller in production to center around the Secret Service, alongside White House Down starring Channing Tatum and Olympus Has Fallen with Gerard Butler. Both of those films center on a hostage situation in the White House, whereas this project appears to center on Costner’s agent and a separate mission away from Washington D.C.
Besson will also produce, adding yet another writing and production credit to his resume. His past credits from this year alone include the sci-fi thriller Lockout and the action sequel Taken 2. Costner, whose last lead role on the big screen was in the 2008 comedy Swing Vote, will hopefully receive a career renaissance as an experienced action hero à la Liam Neeson in the Taken movies. And McG, who is collaborating with Besson for the first time, is probably hoping for a career surge as well. His last film, the action-romance This Means War, received scathing reviews and disappointed at the U.S. box office, accumulating $54 million on a $65-million budget. Both are represented by WME.
