Braveheart star Mel Gibson and X-Men Star Tye Sheridan are in final negotiations to star in Blacklist screenplay Black Flies by Ryan King, based on the novel by Shannon Burke.
The film will be directed by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, who last helmed well-received A24 title A Prayer Before Dawn. Black Flies is the story of a young paramedic, Ollie Cross (Sheridan), navigating his first year on the job. He’s partnered with Rutkovsky (Gibson), an experienced medic who thrusts Ollie into the harsh realities of New York’s inner-city streets. Amidst high crime rates, homelessness, and widespread drug use, Ollie finds his perspective on life and death beginning to shift.
Mad River Pictures is financing and producing alongside Christopher Kopp, Lucan Toh and Babak Anvari, and Anthony Katagas. Sheridan will also be a producer on the film with production slated to begin the second quarter, 2019. CAA and Endeavor Content is handling U.S. rights, and IMR International will begin foreign sales in Berlin next week.
