EXCLUSIVE: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man) has closed a deal to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in By Any Means, the crime thriller from The Inspection‘s Elegance Bratton, on which we were first to report in October.
The actor steps into the lead role originally to have been played by Sterling K. Brown, who we’re told departed the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Based on the Black List script CI34 by Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher, By Any Means is based on the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.
Witcher completed multiple revisions of the script, with Bratton also taking part in the process. The project hails from Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six., which is handling international sales, having first introduced the project to buyers at AFM last fall.
Alex Lebovici is producing for Hammerstone Studios, alongside Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road Films, Chester Algernal Gordon for Freedom Principle, Stephen Levinson, and Wahlberg under his Closest to the Hole Production banner. Exec producers are Jonathan Oakes for Hammerstone, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall, and Warren Goz for North.Five.Six., Adam Kolbrenner, Sascha Penn, Waylen Lin, Zach Zhang, and Logan Coles. WME Independent and CAA Media Finance co-represent U.S. rights.
Abdul-Mateen II is coming off of production on Marvel’s miniseries Wonder Man, expected to launch on Disney+ this December, where he plays the title role, as well as Netflix’s series Man on Fire, based on the books by A.J. Quinnell.
An Emmy winner for his work on HBO’s Watchmen, the actor broke out with his work there, and in such projects as Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, a pair of Aquaman films, and The Greatest Showman. He is represented by M88, WME, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett and Kole.
