Production begins on revenge-thriller Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We’ve been touting it for a long while, and now it’s finally underway: Denis Villeneuve’s hard-boiled revenge story PRISONERS has begun production in Georgia. Alcon Entertainment has issued a press release announcing the commencement of principal photography on the flick, which stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo and Paul Dano.

Additionally, the studios have brought us a brand new synopsis:

How far would you go to protect your child? Keller Dover (Jackman) is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect’s release.

Knowing his child’s life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, he may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?

Denis Villeneuve directs the film from an original screenplay by Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband). Kira Davis, Adam Kolbrenner, and Academy Award nominees Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove (The Blind Side) are the producers, with John Starke, Ed McDonnell, Stephen Levinson, Robyn Meisinger and Mark Wahlberg serving as executive producers.

PRISONERS is scheduled for release on September 20, 2013, and will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Maria Bello