Blake Lively's next movie will have her kill for a living. The actress has been tapped to play an assassin in a new movie from the producers of "James Bond."
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli has tapped Blake Lively to star in "The Rhythm Section.” It is based off a spy thriller book series from author Mark Burnell. The story is first of four novels, where the actress' character, Stephanie Patrick, learns her family's plane crash was not an accident.
Seeking vengeance, Stephanie Patrick will make it her mission to hunt down the people responsible for wiping out her family.
The logline details Blake Lively's character as "on a path to self-destruction."
The producers also tapped "The Handmaid's Tale" helmer Reed Morano to the direct "The Rhythm Section." IM Global will finance the production.
"It is exciting for us to be working with the immensely talented team of director Reed Morano and actress [Blake Lively] who have a strong vision for this very compelling story driven by a female protagonist," Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement published on Variety.
Female action heroes
Blake Lively joins the latest Hollywood trend where female action heroes rule the film. Charlize Theron in "Mad Max: Fury Road" and Gal Gadot in "Wonder Woman" showed that viewers will line-up and pay to watch a movie with a strong, butt-kicking female character.
But can Blake Lively pull this off?
Following six seasons of playing a rich New Yorker millennial in "Gossip Girl," (2007-2012) Blake Lively went on to star in the critically-lauded period movie "The Age of Adaline" (2015). But she definitely showed her grit in the shark thriller "The Shallows" (2016). Producers might have been impressed with her performances in these two films to choose her as Stephanie Patrick.
Blake Lively hinted about this role in another Variety piece back in April. She stated that she’s set to do a movie where her character is a fighter and so she has to get back to a rigorous physical training after “The Shallows.” Deadline also reported that the actress will lead the movie “Bruised” where her character is an MMA fighter.
Stephanie Patrick franchise
Filming for “The Rhythm Section" has been set in the fall and it will take the actress to locations in U.K., Ireland, Switzerland and Spain, aside from the U.S. If the film becomes a box office hit, then it's likely that the producers will follow this up with more stories from the Stephanie Patrick book series. The other three titles include "Gemini," "The Third Woman," and "Chameleon."
