British actor Luke Evans is the next young star with still unproven mettle getting a potential blockbuster built just for him. Deadline reports FilmNation Entertainment has bought and will develop “The Amateur American” as a starring vehicle for Evans, who they are banking on to become one of the next hot young stars to break out in a big way. The action-thriller will be written and directed by Ross Katz, and expected to begin shooting in September. The film will center around Evans, who will play “a young American living in Paris who accepts a job working for a shadowy employer and soon finds himself framed for murder and caught up in a web of deceit.”
Evans follows in the footsteps of names like Taylor Lautner and Alex Pettyfer, who have had studios and producers develop projects around them in recent months, though to this day, neither has showcased any ability to carry a movie. Dreamworks is said to be developing a James Hunt biopic for Pettyfer, though the highly disappointing box office numbers for their projected hit “I Am Number Four” (coupled with even worse numbers for “Beastly”) may make the studio pause for a moment. Lautner, on the other hand, reportedly has many offers on the table but his first feature that doesn’t come with “Twilight”‘s international brand recognition doesn’t open until September. Given Pettyfer’s flops, Lautner seems like a highly risky investment as well.
Evans, at age 32, is a bit older than his tween-friendly counterparts, but age and maturity might given him an edge over the competition, bringing a gravitas and believability to becoming an action hero that both guys and girls, of any age, can root for. The producers reportedly put their faith in Evans after seeing his work in “The Raven”, in which he stars opposite John Cusack. He has also had plenty of action-movie experience, playing Apollo in “Clash of the Titans”, Zeus” in the upcoming “Immortals” and Aramis in “The Three Musketeers”. On top of that, his impressive dramatic chops are also on full display as the kind and grounded Andy opposite Gemma Arterton in “Tamara Drewe”.
Our money is on Evans.
