Frank Grillo and Maria Bakalova are set to star in the AI-focused sci-fi survival thriller Override, which has entered production in Belfast. The film is being launched for international sales at the American Film Market by Capture. Directed by Jordan Downey, it follows a wounded futuristic soldier aided by advanced battlefield AI.
Casting and Plot
Frank Grillo, known for roles in Peacemaker and Tulsa King, and Maria Bakalova, from The Apprentice and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, will lead Override. The story centers on a futuristic soldier played by Bakalova, who is left for dead but teams up with a synthetic angel—a cutting-edge battlefield AI portrayed by Grillo—to battle a mortal wound against the clock. This marks a reunion for the duo, who previously voiced characters in James Gunn's animated series Creature Commandos, which debuted late last year.
Production Details
Directed and co-written by Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter, The Cycle), the script was penned alongside Jackson Murray and Kevin Stewart. Production began this month in Belfast. The film is produced by James Harris of Tea Shop Productions, responsible for hits like Fall, Obsession, and 47 Meters Down, and Michael Downey (The Big Ugly, The Swallow). Financing comes from Christian Mercuri's Capstone.
Capture, a sales company formed this year as a joint venture between Capstone Global and Signature Entertainment, is handling international sales for Override at the American Film Market. Their slate also features Killa Bee starring Daisy Ridley, Above & Below with Antonio Banderas, action-adventure Dark Jungle, and crime thriller Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain. Tea Shop's upcoming projects include Giant, starring Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan, and Obsession directed by Curry Barker.
Representation
Grillo is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360, 42West, and Paul Hastings. Bakalova is repped by CAA, Insight Management, Brookside Artist Management, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman.