Developer Patel stars in 'The Journeyman' thriller from Tarsem Singh, AGC Studios

Oscar nominee Dev Patel (The Green Knight) is set to star The Journeymana new crime thriller from director Tarsem Singh (autumn) and Stuart Ford's AGC Studios, which will produce and fully finance the project.

AGC International represents the international distribution rights of the film and will present it to buyers at the AFM.

The script was written by husband-and-wife duo Bryan and Alexis Roberts, also known as The Roberts. The Journeyman is the story of a struggling professional tennis player who is lured into an illegal match-fixing ring to support his family and becomes trapped in a ruthless world of corruption and violence from which he may never escape.

Oscar nominee Scott Franklin produces alongside Ford for AGC, Mason Eways for LBI Entertainment and Patel's Minor Realm, while Shamier Anderson and Stephan James exec produce for Bay Mills. CAA Media Finance is handling domestic operations together with AGC, with EVP Legal & Business Affairs Anant Tamirisa representing AGC Studios on the project. Production will start next year.

In a statement accompanying the project announcement, AGC's Ford said: “The Roberts have written an educational, suspenseful, twist-filled crime thriller that is a perfect fit for a visionary filmmaker like Tarsem and a top producer of Scott's caliber. Tarsem's renowned visual flair and deep experience working with elite athletes also means he portrays a deeply authentic version of the professional tennis circuit that goes beyond what has previously been seen on the big screen. “I have wanted to work with Dev Patel for a long time and this is a phenomenal role for him to sink his teeth into.”

Said Franklin, whose credits include Black Swan, The wrestler And The whale“Before I ever produced my first film, I saw Autumn in 2006 and Tarsem immediately became one of my favorite filmmakers. His latest film, Dear Jassiis one of the best films I've seen in the last twenty years. After seeing Dev Patel's Monkey man and his existing body of work, the thought of seeing these two come together and create magic on screen became a dream come true. Thanks to the support of partners like Stuart Ford and AGC, LBI, and my original partners on the project, Shamier Anderson and Stephan James at Bay Mills, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I could never have imagined.”

Best known for roles in critically acclaimed dramas such as Slumdog millionaire And Lionas well as A24s The Green Knight by David Lowery, Patel makes his directorial debut with the actor Monkey man for Universal and Monkeypaw, in which he also starred and produced.

Singh broke out with his commercials for major international brands including Smirnoff, Coke, Nike, Levis and Pepsi, and directed his first feature film, The cellin 2000. He has been helmeted ever since Autumnas well as Immortals starring Henry Cavill, Mirror Mirror starring Julia Roberts, and Self/Less starring Ryan Reynolds. Additional credits include 10-part miniseries Emerald city and his first feature film in Punjabi, Dear Jassiwhich won the Platform Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

The producer of Anna Kendrick's directorial debut Woman of the Hourwhich recently captured the No. 1 U.S. movie spot on Netflix upon its debut, AGC recently premiered Ron Howard's psychological thriller Edenstarring Ana de Armas, Jude Law, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby and Daniel Brühl, at the Toronto Film Festival. Next, the company will unveil its historical crime thriller The Orderwith Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollett. The film, directed by Justin Kurzel, will be released in US cinemas on December 6.

Patel is represented by CAA, Curtis Brown, Stephanie Comer at Sol22 and attorney Jamie Feldman at Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; Singh by LBI Entertainment and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; and The Roberts by LBI Entertainment and Yorn Levine.