Ethan Hawke will star in the next film from director Abel Ferrara, a war-time thriller called “Zeros and Ones.”
Hawke joins a cast that also includes Cristina Chiriac and Phil Neilson, and “Zeros and Ones” will begin filming in Italy later this month.
“Zeros and Ones” is both written and directed by Ferrara, and it stars Hawke as JJ, an American soldier stationed in Rome under siege, locked down and at war who witnesses an attack on The Vatican. He must then defend against an unknown enemy threatening the lives of the entire world.
Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Group will launch sales on the film at AFM this week under its Blue Box International label and will co-rep domestic with CAA Media Finance.
“Zeros and Ones” is produced by Diana Phillips of Rimsky Productions and Philipp Kreuzer from Maze Pictures. Cinematographer Sean Price Williams (“Good Time”) anchors the production below the line team.
Danny Chan of Almost Never Films will serve as Executive Producer alongside Brent Guttman and Don Young.
“‘Zeros and Ones’ is a film of lockdown and war, danger and espionage, American soldiers, Chinese middlemen, Mid-Eastern holy men, provocateurs, diplomats, rogue elements of the CIA and KGB. I cannot wait to roll the cameras next week in a way that is safe because this film was written during and with an understanding of the pandemic,” Ferrara said in a statement.
“Buyers are hungry for compelling and original storylines in the hands of master filmmakers and ‘Zeros and Ones’ ticks all the right boxes,” Mercuri said in a statement. “Coupled with world class production values and locations that includes the eerie backdrop of present-day Rome which has a feeling of Paris at the end of WW2, this film is a package not to be missed.”
Hawke currently stars in his Showtime series that he co-writes and executive produces, “The Good Lord Bird,” and he recently joined a film with his daughter Maya Hawke about The Beatles for director Andrew Stanton.
Ferrara, known for his films like “Bad Lieutenant” and “King of New York,” last directed “Siberia” and “Sportin’ Life.”