Joe Carnahan’s action-thriller Shadow Force has finally commenced filming after a lengthy pre-production period and several changes in director and actor. The Smokin’ Aces and Copshop filmmaker posted a shot of clapboard with the message “Time to Get. It. On!” on Instagram to signal that filming has begun. With a reward on their heads, Omar Sy and Kerry Washington play “a separated couple on the run with their kid to flee their former employer’s shadow ops squad that has been assigned to assassinate them,” according to the film’s official synopsis. Shadow Force had a bumpy road ahead of them before they could begin filming.
Once planned to be directed by Victoria Mahoney, who previously worked on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and starring Sterling K. Brown in place of John Washington, the film has now been rescheduled until 2019. In the wake of Mahoney’s departure and Brown’s decision to produce the film through Indian Meadows Productions, the door has been left open for Sy. Although Mahoney’s exit from the director’s chair is disappointing, Carnahan’s resume suggests he will be up to the task. He’s most renowned for his action films, which are both fast-paced and stylish at the same time.
Even though Copshop didn’t reinvent the wheel when it came to action, it was an enjoyable retro action thriller starring a favourite collaborator of his Frank Grillo and Gerard Butler. In addition to Narc from 2002, many episodes of The Blacklist, and the star-studded 2010 film The A-Team, he has produced or directed other works in the past. For Bad Boys for Life, he co-wrote the screenplay and narrative, even though he didn’t direct it in the end. In addition to working on Netflix’s Spinning Out and Amazon’s critically praised original series The Wilds, Leon Chills has also found success as a writer recently. Carnahan co-wrote Shadow Force with Chills.
The Simpson Street banner of Stephen “Dr.” Love, Denzel Washington, and Pilar Savone join forces with Brown to create through their respective Made with Love Media companies. Both Aaron Edmonds and Jorge Alfaro Silva of Lionsgate are managing the film, while Quinn Curry of Made for Love is in charge of overseeing the production. Shadow Force’s release date is presently unknown.