Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Star in Heist Thriller ‘Fuze’ From ‘Hell or High Water’ Director David Mackenzie, Anton Launching Sales in Berlin
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has found his next role in David Mackenzie’s heist thriller “Fuze,” which Anton will launch at the European Film Market in Berlin this month.
The film reunites Taylor-Johnson and “Hell or High Water” helmer Mackenzie, who last worked together on 2018’s “Outlaw King.” With a script from Ben Hopkins, “Fuze” “opens on the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb in a London construction site, sparking a mass evacuation – the perfect cover for a heist,” according to the film’s synopsis.
More from Variety
Taylor-Johnson’s stacked project lineup currently includes the headlining role in Marvel’s “Kraven and the Hunter,” due out in August; “The Fall Guy” alongside Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt; and Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated “Nosferatu.” Mackenzie’s 2016 neo-Western “Hell or High Water” scored four Oscar noms, including best picture, and he’s also set to direct “Relay” starring Lily James, Riz Ahmed and Sam Worthington.
“Tension is one of the purest emotions that cinema can create. I had the idea of combining all the high stakes of an unexploded bomb with that of a bank robbery — clashing these two genres to create as much pressure as possible — in a context that feels as real as possible,” Mackenzie said in a statement. “Ben Hopkins took those ingredients and cooked up the compelling script that we are now taking into production.”
“Fuze” is produced by Gillian Berrie (“Outlaw King,” “Tetris”) for Sigma Films as well as Sebastien Raybaud (“The End We Start From,” “Greenland”) and Callum Grant (“Jackdaw,” “Cleaner”) for Anton. “Hell or High Water” cinematographer Giles Nuttgens has joined the creative team as director of photography.
Anton is financing “Fuze” and selling the world rights at EFM, where the company will present a sizzle reel. UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent co-rep the U.S. rights with Anton.
“Together, David Mackenzie and DP Giles Nuttgens are dynamos. Just add Aaron Taylor-Johnson and we have the Midas touch for this whirlwind movie,” Berrie said. “I cannot wait!”
Added Raybaud and Grant, “David is uniquely talented at pairing large-scale filmmaking with truly unique characters. ‘Fuze’ melds the relentless tension of a bomb movie to the heist genre. Buckle up!”
Taylor-Johnson is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern, LLP. Mackenzie is repped by UTA, United Agents in London, and Alan Wertheimer and Kim Jaime. Berrie is repped by UTA, United Agents in London, and Alan Wertheimer and Kim Jaime. Nuttgens is repped by UTA.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
