Morgan Freeman is set to join Luke Hemsworth in the upcoming action thriller Gunner, which Highland Film Group represents for worldwide sales and will introduce to buyers at the EFM next week.

Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxer: Retaliation) is directing from a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, whose action chops include creating the characters in The Fast And The Furious franchise and writing several installments.

Gunner follows Special Ops veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) who takes his two sons on a fishing trip to reconnect. When the boys stumble upon a drug running operation and get kidnapped by the son of a jailed kingpin (Freeman), Gunner sets out to rescue his family.

Production is scheduled to commence this spring in Alabama. Joel Shapiro (Killerman with Liam Hemsworth, Dear Dictator with Michael Caine) and Logothetis are producing. Freeman collaborated with Highland on the sci-fi thriller 57 Seconds opposite Josh Hutcherson.

“Working again with such an incomparable talent like Morgan Freeman is fantastic and we’re thrilled to team up with him for a second time in such a different and exciting role,” said Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier.

“Writer Gary Scott Thompson has taken audiences on a number of thrill rides with The Fast And Furious and his screenplay for Gunner does not disappoint. And with action maven Dimitri Logothetis at the helm, we’re ready to roll on this high-octane story about a war hero who will do anything to protect his family.”

Logothetis added, “I feel so privileged to have Morgan Freeman in Gunner. One of my most favorite and unforgettable performances of his is when he played the villain Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me. Freeman is deceivingly complex and perfect for Gunner.”

Freeman is represented by Fred Specktor of CAA and Jason Sloane of Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

Highland Film Group’s current sales slate includes Simon West’s action comedy Old Guy starring Christoph Waltz; Audrey Cummings’ western action film Place Of Bones with Heather Graham and Tom Hopper; and William Eubank’s action thriller Land Of Bad starring Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth.

By Jeremy Kay, ScreenDaily