Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Everest, Prisoners, Source Code), Golden Globe nominee Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in Our Stars) and breakout star Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Greatest Showman) have stepped aboard the new crime thriller Finest Kind, which was written and will be directed by Academy Award winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River).
Finest Kind will be produced by Gary Foster (Denial, The Soloist, Sleepless in Seattle) and Russ Krasnoff (Denial, The Soloist) under Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment, Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, and Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker under their Nine Stories banner. 30WEST is financing the film. STXinternational, a division of STX Entertainment, will handle international distribution for the film and introduce to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market. STXinternational will also directly distribute the film in the UK and Ireland.
Finest Kind is a crime thriller about two brothers (Gyllenhaal and Elgort) who strike a dangerous deal with a crime syndicate that draws them into the Boston underworld. As pressures mount, sacrifices must be made and bonds—between brother and brother and between father and sons--put to the test.
Producer Gary Foster said: “Brian and I have dreamed about making this film together for a long time. Brian’s directorial vision and powerful screenplay which draws on his experiences growing up in the tough town of New Bedfrod, Mass., has attracted a stellar cast lead by Jake, Ansel and Zendaya. I couldn’t be more thrilled!”
David Kosse, President of STXinternational said, “Reteaming with Imperative and 30WEST is another great opportunity to bring quality filmmaking to the international marketplace. Brian Helgeland is the perfect director to capture the grit and emotion of this phenomenal cast. It’s a great collaboration on every level and I could not be more delighted to be working alongside such an exciting group of filmmakers.”
Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award® for his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He recently wrapped production on The Sisters Brothers for Jacques Audiard and starred in David Gordon Green’s Stronger, which was also produced by Nine Stories. Elgort received a Golden Globe® nomination for his performance in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver for Sony and is currently in production on John Crowley’s The Goldfinch for Warner Bros. Zendaya recently starred in Michael Gracey’s acclaimed musical The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron; she is currently in production on the animated feature Smallfoot for Warner Bros; and starts production on the new Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel later this year.
Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award® for his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He recently wrapped production on The Sisters Brothers for Jacques Audiard and starred in David Gordon Green’s Stronger, which was also produced by Nine Stories. Elgort received a Golden Globe® nomination for his performance in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver for Sony and is currently in production on John Crowley’s The Goldfinch for Warner Bros. Zendaya recently starred in Michael Gracey’s acclaimed musical The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron; she is currently in production on the animated feature Smallfoot for Warner Bros; and starts production on the new Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel later this year.