Exclusive Media To Produce And Finance AGENT: CENTURY 21; Cameron Diaz and Benicio Del Toro To Star

Exclusive Media has come aboard to produce and finance the action/comedy AGENT: CENTURY 21 with Cameron Diaz and Benicio Del Toro attached to star, it was announced today by Exclusive Media Co-Chairmen, Nigel Sinclair and Guy East. The film is written by Greg Brooker (STUART LITTLE) and will be directed by Adam Hashemi, who will make his feature film debut.

The film will be produced by Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance (CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND) and David Greenblatt (BATTLE LOS ANGELES) with Shane Black (upcoming IRON MAN 3) attached to executive produce.

Crushed by her recent divorce, Mary Kay Curly (Diaz) cannot catch a break. Desperate to protect the two most important things in her life, her kids and her real estate agent job, Mary Kay agrees to take on an unpleasant task for her boss that accidentally gets her kidnapped and tossed into the center of a Mexican drug war.  Armed with little more than her maternal instincts and a streak of pure dumb luck, Mary Kay must overcome incredible odds and outsmart the FBI, various underground crime lords and an international terrorist organization- in time to make it home for dinner. The all – star film is set to start shooting in September 2012.

“AGENT: CENTURY 21 is an adrenaline-infused comedy which brings together two of the hottest stars in Hollywood. It’s a dream combination and with our friend Andrew producing the film, it doesn’t get much better than this,” said Guy East and Nigel Sinclair.

Rick Yorn and CAA brokered the production and financing deal. Exclusive Media’s Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production and Acquisitions and Matt Jackson, Executive Vice President and Head of US Production, will be shepherding the production on behalf of the company.

Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution, will be selling international rights to the film at the upcoming Marché Du Film in Cannes.  CAA is representing North American rights.

Cameron Diaz’s iconic films include THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, CHARLIE’S ANGELS opposite Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu and DreamWorks’ SHREK series, providing the voice of Fiona. Her recent screen credits include BAD TEACHER opposite Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake and THE GREEN HORNET opposite Seth Rogen, both released by Columbia Pictures in 2011. Her upcoming projects include Lionsgate’s WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING opposite Matthew Morrison, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks and Dennis Quaid coming to theatres this month as well as CBS Films’ GAMBIT starring Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci and Alan Rickman to be released next year.

Benicio Del Toro won an Oscar for his supporting role in Steven Soderbergh’s TRAFFIC and was nominated again in 2003 for his performance in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 GRAMS.  Other credits include THE USUAL SUSPECTS, SNATCH and SIN CITY. His most recent roles include playing Che Guevara in Soderbergh’s CHE for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 and starring in Universal’s THE WOLFMAN. He will next be seen in Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES opposite John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Salma Hayek, which will be released by Universal in July 2012 and is currently in pre-production on Martin Scorsese’s SILENCE opposite Daniel Day-Lewis and Gael Garcia Bernal.

Danish helmer Adam Hashemi has directed across all media including short films, music videos and commercials in his fast-rising and versatile career. His first music video made the MTV “Top 10” in Europe and his short sci-fi film COVAC was screened in various film festivals in Europe and the US. He has made award-winning commercials for major companies including Coca Cola, Nissan, Sony Ericsson, Carlsberg Sport and Volkswagen. He won a Yellow Pencil Award at the 2011 D&AD Awards for his public awareness campaign for RRSF and most recently has directed music videos for popular Danish bands, Mew and Oh No Ono.

Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar is a veteran producer with credits that include GET SMART, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, PANIC and George Clooney’s CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND. His recent producer credits include I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS starring Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor and JONAH HEX starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich. He is currently in development on AKIRA at Warner Brothers, a live action adaptation of the anime film by the same name.

Shane Black is writing and directing the next installment in the Marvel blockbuster franchise, IRON MAN 3 starring Robert Downey Jr., currently in pre-production. He is one of the industry’s top action writers having penned LETHAL WEAPON 1 and 2, LAST ACTION HERO and in addition to writing, producing THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT and executive producing THE LAST BOY SCOUT. He made his directorial debut with KISS KISS BANG BANG starring Robert Downey Jr. and is attached to direct the thriller DEATH NOTE for Warner Bros. Pictures, a live action adaptation of the Japanese manga series.

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena, and will be offering its high profile slate of titles to international buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

In addition to AGENT: CENTURY 21, other titles from the company’s production slate include THE QUIET ONES, to be directed by John Pogue and starring Jared Harris; Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Brian Grazer, and Revolution Films to be released in the US through Universal; SNITCH, starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post-production and to be released in the US through Summit Entertainment; END OF WATCH, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera set for release through Open Road Films on September 28 and SO UNDERCOVER, starring Miley Cyrus.

Exclusive Media also represents a dynamic slate of third party productions and will be offering LOOK OF LOVE, starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams currently in production, THÉRÈSE from producers Mickey Liddell and William Horberg, starring Elizabeth Olsen, Jessica Lange, Oscar Isaac and Tom Felton; Sundance favorite ROBOT & FRANK starring Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon and to be released in the US by Samuel Goldwyn Films on August 24; the ensemble DISCONNECT also produced by Horberg, Liddell and Jennifer Hilton and HIT AND RUN from writer/director Dax Shepard who also stars with Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper and Tom Arnold to be released in the US by Open Road Films on August 24.

Diaz is represented by Rick Yorn, CAA and Marcy Morris.