By Gregg Goldstein
August 27, 2007
Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired all worldwide rights to Kevin Bray’s gang action thriller “Linewatch” starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Omari Hardwick and Evan Ross.
Gooding plays Michael Dixon, a one-time Los Angeles gang member who escapes his neighborhood to become a respected U.S. border patrol officer in New Mexico. But his peaceful life with his wife and daughter is threatened when a chance encounter leads the gang’s psychotic leader, Drake (Hardwick), to his door, forcing Dixon to take extreme measures to protect his family.
Ross plays Dixon’s nephew Little Boy, who sought out Drake as a surrogate father when Dixon disappeared and finds himself in the middle of their conflict. Sharon Leal plays Dixon’s wife.
Sony is eyeing a 2008 theatrical release for the Motion Picture Corporation of America production, shot on location this summer in New Mexico. The film is directed by Bray (“Walking Tall,” “All About the Benjamins”), written by David W. Warfield (“Ocean Park,” “Kill Me Again”) and produced by Brad Krevoy and Reuben Liber of MPCA and Karri O’Reilly.
“It’s the struggle of the protagonist, who has to choose between his family and the law, that makes ‘Linewatch’ so compelling,” Krevoy said. “Kevin Bray brings a very visual but character-oriented approach to the movie.”
Added Liber, “We have a long history of working with Sony, so it seemed natural to work with them again, especially given the commercial aspects of the picture.”
Krevoy is producing HBO Films’ “Taking Chance,” starring Kevin Bacon, based on the true story of Marine Lt. Col. Mike Strobl’s journey across America escorting the body of Iraq War veteran Chance Phelps.
Previous MPCA features include “Undisputed,” “A Love Song for Bobby Long,” “Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Kingpin” and “Albino Alligator.”
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group senior vp worldwide acquisitions and production Lara Thompson negotiated the deal with the filmmakers.