Principal Production on THE GUNMAN Starring Sean Penn Begins

Silver Pictures and Studiocanal announce the start of principal photography of the international action thriller THE GUNMAN. Starring Sean Penn, the project unites the two time Academy Award winning actor with an extraordinary, unconventional ensemble cast including Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance and Jasmine Trinca. Directed by acclaimed French helmer Pierre Morel, the compelling script is written by Peter Travis and is based on the novel The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette. Joel Silver and Andrew Rona are producing through Silver Pictures, with Sean Penn. The film is fully financed by Studiocanal who handles worldwide sales and will distribute it in its four territories. It is the second collaboration this year between Silver Pictures and Studiocanal after NON-STOP. THE GUNMAN will shoot mainly in Barcelona, Spain and London.

Penn stars as Jim Terrier, an international operative who is betrayed by the organization he worked for, and must go on the run in a relentless game of cat and mouse across Europe.

The cast also includes Bardem, winner of the Academy Award for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and co-star of recent Bond adventure SKYFALL; Elba, winner of the Golden Globe for his title role in television series "Luther" and soon to be seen in PACIFIC RIM and MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, as the former president of South Africa; Winstone, a veteran of UK and international films, including SEXY BEAST, THE SWEENEY and THE DEPARTED; and Rylance, twice winner of the Olivier and Tony Awards, most recently for his performance in Jerusalem on West End and Broadway stages. Italian actress Trinca, who won multiple awards for her film debut in Nanni Moretti's THE SON'S ROOM and recently won a 2013 Globi d'Oro (Italian Golden Globes) and a 2013 Nastro d'Argento for her role in Valeria Golino's MILE, co-stars.

Director Morel launched the successful and highly-acclaimed TAKEN franchise, which established Liam Neeson as one of the most sought after action stars. A third TAKEN film is planned.

Executive producers are Aaron Auch and Steve Richards, for Silver Pictures, Olivier Courson and Ron Halpern for Studiocanal, Peter McAleese, and Adrian Guerra for Nostromo Pictures.

ABOUT SILVER PICTURES

Joel Silver's Silver Pictures is one of Hollywood's leading producers of action motion pictures. The company's current slate includes THE GUNMAN starring Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba and directed by Pierre Morel; THE OUTSIDER starring Tom Hardy and to be directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike in his English-language debut; and NON-STOP starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, which will be distributed by Universal Pictures on February 28, 2014, as part of Silver's non-exclusive distribution deal with the studio. Silver has produced more than 60 films which have earned more than $13 billion in worldwide revenue. Past credits include the SHERLOCK HOLMES franchise, starring Robert Downey, Jr., which has earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office; the Academy Award-winning THE MATRIX trilogy, the blockbuster LETHAL WEAPON franchise and seminal action films DIE HARD and PREDATOR.

Studiocanal is a subsidiary of the CANAL+ Group. It is one of Europe's leading companies in the market for co-production, acquisition, distribution and sale of international feature films. Studiocanal is the only studio operating simultaneously in the three main European territories - France, the United Kingdom and Germany - as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The company distributes a total of more than 50 films a year. Additionally, Studiocanal owns one of the most important libraries in the world, with more than 5,000 international titles.

Studiocanal's production ambitions have included TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, based on John le Carre's bestseller, directed by Tomas Alfreson, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy and produced by Working Title. The film was number one at the UK box-office for 3 weeks and grossed over $85 million worldwide.

This year Studiocanal financed the Coen's INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, with Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman; Susanne Bier's SERENA, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Hoss Amini's TWO FACES OF JANUARY with Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac, produced by Working Title, and NON STOP directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, with Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore and Michele Dockery.

New productions include THE GUNMAN produced by Joel Silver, directed by Pierre Morel with Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba. Later in 2013, MACBETH starring Michael Fassbinder and Natalie Portman,directed by Justin Kurtzel, PADDINGTON, by HARRY POTTER'S producer David Heyman, based on the famous, and hugely popular, bear in the duffle coat loved by families worldwide and SHAUN THE SHEEP in partnership with Aardman Animations bringing one of their most popular animated characters to the big screen.

Studiocanal also has an exclusive deal with Belgian company nWave, a European leader in 3D production. They produced SAMMY's adventures, and are currently working on House of Magic, their new animated 3D film.

Finally, in January 2012, Studiocanal became a major shareholder in Tandem Communications, one of the leading European companies for international primetime Event TV productions and worldwide distribution of quality television programs (CROSSING LINES, PILLARS OF THE EARTH, LABYRINTH, WORLD WITHOUT END.).

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