EXCLUSIVE: The action-chase film The Mongoose, starring Liam Neeson, is now underway in Australia and stars Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Mission Impossible star Ving Rhames and Emmy winner Michael Chiklis .
Oscar nominee Neeson will play Ryan “Fang” Flanagan, a war hero who, framed for a crime he didn’t commit and with nothing to lose, leads police on an epic, nationally televised chase.
Tomei will play Tara, Fang’s ex-wife, who turns to Fang for help when she finds herself in trouble. Rhames will play Tanker, Fang’s loyal right-hand man, who was second-in-command of Fang’s Special Forces squad when they were captured in Afghanistan. Chiklis will play Pope, the violent and reckless chief of the Texas Highway Patrol who is convinced of Fang’s guilt.
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The film will be directed by Mark Vanselow, whose career as an action sequence director, action designer, stunt coordinator and stuntman includes two SAG Award nominations for Best Stunt Ensemble (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). He has doubled for Neeson on more than 20 films, including all of the Taken films and both Ice Road films, the second of which is currently in post-production.
The Mongoose was written by Thompson Evans (Reckoning). Code Entertainment will finance alongside Jupiter Peak Productions, which has joined the project as a producing partner. Code’s Al Corley, Bart Rosenblatt and Eugene Musso will produce. Jonathan Dana will executive produce alongside Code’s Rich Freeman, along with Steven Shapiro and Jupiter Peak’s Liz and Ken Whitney. Lisa Wilson and Craig Chapman of The Solution Entertainment Group will also executive produce.
The film is shooting in Victoria, Australia, and will be based in Melbourne. It is taking advantage of VicScreen’s Victorian Screen Rebate program and received support from the Federal Government’s Location Offset.
The Solution Entertainment is handling international sales and, as we previously revealed, sold the majority of international sales to Prime Video. CAA Media Finance represents US rights.
“Code Entertainment proudly welcomes these exceptional actors to Mongoose. Their enormous talents, along with those of Liam Neeson, promise to enrich our film with new enthusiasm.” “We are thrilled to embark on this journey together, confident in the unique inspiration each will bring,” said Code’s Al Corley and Bart Rosenblatt.
The film is Code’s third collaboration with Neeson following the two Ice Road films. Code’s other films include Kill the Irishman, The Forger, You Kill Me and Drowning Mona.
Neeson is repped by CAA and attorney Mark Stankevich. Thompson Evans is repped by Code Management’s Rich Freeman and Gersh Agency. Mark Vanselow is repped by Mark Stankevich. Tomei is repped by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment, and the Johnson Shapiro law firm. Ving Rhames is repped by Kramer Management. Chiklis is repped by Entertainment 360 and Gersh.
