EuropaCorp And Relativity Media Cast Kevin Costner As Agent Ethan Runner In McG’s Untitled Thriller

“The Mariner” and Oscar, Emmy-winner Kevin Costner (“Hatfields & McCoys,” WATERWORLD, THE BODYGUARD, DANCES WITH WOLVES) will be back on the silver screen… and soon! EuropaCorp and Relativity Media have closed deals with the actor to star as the lead in the upcoming gripping action tale with McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation) attached to direct from a screenplay by Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter) and Adi Hasak (From Paris With Love).

The thriller explores a story about Secret Service Agent Ethan Runner who discovers he’s dying and decides to retire in order to reconnect with his estranged family. But when the Secret Service offers him access to an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment, he soon finds himself trying to juggle his family, his mission, and the drug’s hallucinatory side-effects.

The film is being produced by EuropaCorp’s Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla (From Paris with Love), Hasak and Relativity’s CEO, Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter). Relativity’s President, Tucker Tooley (Immortals) will executive produce.

This marks the second of two films that EuropaCorp and Relativity will collaborate on as a part of a co-production and co-financing deal that was announced in May. The deal also includes the darkly comedic action film Malavita directed by Besson and starring Oscar®-Winner Robert De Niro (Limitless, Heat), Oscar®-Nominee Michelle Pfeiffer (Dark Shadows, People Like Us), Oscar®-Winner Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, Men in Black), Dianna Agron (Glee, I Am Number Four) and John D’Leo (The Wrestler, Wanderlust).

Up next, Relativity will release the outrageous Movie 43 (in theatres January 25, 2013), the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling Safe Haven (in theatres February 8, 2013), the comedy 21 and Over (in theatres March 15, 2013) and the corporate espionage thriller Paranoia (in theatres October 4, 2013). Relativity is currently in post-production on Scott Cooper’s gritty dramatic thriller currently-titled Out of the Furnace. EuropaCorp is also in post-production on Mobius, directed by Eric Rochant, starring Oscar®-Winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Cécile de France (Here After), and Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, The Incredible Hulk).