Anthony Mackie is stepping back into action mode with a new thriller, Barracuda, set to begin production this week in New Mexico.
The film will also star Dafne Keen, alongside Steven Bauer and Anthony Del Negro.
Directing is Neil Burger, known for Limitless, The Illusionist, and Divergent. The screenplay comes from Adam Mason and Simon Boyes.
Barracuda follows Karl (Mackie), a former smuggler pulled back into chaos when he storms a nightclub in Mexico to rescue a kidnapped teen, Jodie (Keen). What starts as a rescue mission quickly spirals into a relentless chase after Karl kills the brother of a powerful crime boss and steals his prized 1973 Plymouth Barracuda. With enemies closing in, the two are forced into a brutal, high-speed run across desert highways toward the U.S. border.
The film is produced by Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier, and Henry Winterstern for Highland Film Group, alongside producers from ImageMovers, K. Jam Media, 828 Productions, and R.U. Robot Studios. Executive producers include Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide rights, with U.S. distribution co-repped by UTA Independent Film Group. Production will be based in Las Cruces, with 828 Productions serving as the local production partner.
Burger described the film as a “non-stop” thriller built around relentless pacing and new visual techniques, signaling a return to the kind of high-concept action storytelling that defined some of his earlier work.