Yahoo News ‘The Kissing Booth’ Star Joey King Turns Assassin Opposite Brad Pitt in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train’
EXCLUSIVE: The Kissing Booth’s Joey King is in negotiations to star opposite Brad Pitt in the action-thriller Bullet Train for Sony Pictures.
Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitch will direct and also supervise the script, which will be written by Zak Olkewicz. The film has been moving at light speed since Leitch attached himself last month with Pitt coming on shortly after, marking his first film commitment since winning his first Oscar for acting in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. The film is looking at a fall start in Los Angeles.
More from Deadline
The film is based on the Japanese novel “Maria Beetle” by best-selling author Kotaro Isaka. Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada of CTB Inc., who represent Isaka and the IP, are executive producers on the project
Harvill Secker has separately announced that it will publish the novel “Bullet Train” in English next year. Leitch and Kelly McCormick will produce “Bullet Train” through their company 87North, along with Antoine Fuqua. Kat Samick is exec producing and Brittany Morrissey is the executive overseeing the project for Sony Pictures.
Sony recently announced that the studio is developing One Punch Man, also based on a popular Japanese manga, that they hope has franchise potential.
Plot details are vague. According to sources, Kings plays one of four leads opposite Pitt; King is believed to be the only woman in the group. It would be King’s most action-heavy part to date, giving her a role that could lead to more roles in films like it in the future the way The Edge of Tomorrow did for Emily Blunt and Iron Man 2 did for Scarlett Johansson.
King has already had a big summer after Netflix premiered the sequel to her smash hit romantic comedy, The Kissing Booth, as well as announcing a third film, which is already shot and King returning to star. She is also coming off her Emmy-nominated role of Gypsy in Hulu’s limited series The Act and will also produce series for Hulu after striking a first-look deal with the streaming service. She is the youngest person to strike a deal with a streaming network.
She is attached to headline and Executive Produce the limited series, A Spark Of Light, by Sony Pictures TV based on the bestselling book by Jodi Piccoult. She will also produce and star in The In Between, written by Marc Klein, for Paramount Players.
She is repped by UTA, Coast to Coast Talent Group, Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment and attorney Howard Fishman.
Best of Deadline
Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak
Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
