Richard Gere and Michelle Rodriguez have been cast in a new plane survival thriller.
Richard Gere has been cast in Left Seat
The ‘Pretty Woman’ actor and ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise star will join forces on upcoming blockbuster ‘Left Seat’ from ‘Bleed For This’ director Ben Younger.
As reported by Deadline, Rodriguez will play a “travelling pharmaceutical rep” who is “forced to take control of a small charter plane after the pilot falls unconscious mid-flight”.
The synopsis continues: “She must rely on the help of a stranger (Gere) over the radio, to navigate through deadly storms and land the aircraft before the fuel runs out.”
Younger will direct from David M. Crabtree’s screenplay, and he is also making script revisions.
Longtime Mandalay President Jason Michael Berman is serving as producer under his new A/Vantage Pictures banner.
He said in a statement: “I am thrilled to be bringing David M. Crabtree’s brilliant screenplay to life, which is a visceral cinematic experience that explores important themes of the human experience with emotional depth.”
He pointed to the importance of having a “real life” pilot at the helm of the movie, as well as two “extraordinarily talented actors” on the bill.
He added: “To have Ben Younger directing and writing on the movie will create the most authentic experience possible for our audience, as Ben is a pilot in real life, as well as a brilliant filmmaker and screenwriter who creates movies with incredible tension, along with heart.
“And finally, to be working with the extraordinarily talented actors Michelle Rodriguez and Richard Gere to bring ‘Left Seat’ to the screen is a dream come true.”
Gere can be seen in Paramount+ series ‘The Agency’ – which is a remake of French series ‘Le Bureau des Legendes, and has been renewed for a second season.
In 2024, he also appeared with Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi in ‘Oh, Canadda’, while Rodriguez – known for her roles in the lieks of ‘Resident Evil’ and ‘Machete’ – will appear in ‘Fast X: Part 2’ next year.
Despite her successful career – which includes the ‘Avatar’ franchise – Rodriguez still sees herself as an outlier in Hollywood.
She recently told PEOPLE magazine: “I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s like being a salmon swimming upstream, and Hollywood always feels like the stream.”
Rodriguez is determined to remain true to herself in the film business.
She explained: “You don’t want to be pushed around or [let] anybody to tell [you that you] can’t get to the other side of the river.
“I’m going to get there one way or another. I don’t care which way everybody else is going.
“That’s the rebellion. All it is is just sticking to who you are.”