Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins is teaming with Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell for Locked, a remake of the Argentinian action thriller 4X4. David Yarovesky directs from a script by Michael Arlen Ross (Oracle), with the original written and directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat. The project hails from ZQ Entertainment and Raimi Productions.
According to the synopsis for Cohn’s 2019 thriller, 4X4 revolves around a thug who breaks into a specialized car with a unique security system that keeps him trapped inside, with no one being able to hear him crying for help. Cohn’s film starred Peter Lanzani, Ailén Mazioni, and Dady Brieva. I recommend checking out the trailer for 4X4, as it looks intense, brutal, and prone to giving audiences a feeling of claustrophobia.
In Yarovesky’s version, Powell plays the thug originally portrayed by Lanzani.
“Dave Yarovesky so elevated the material on Nightbooks, and he was our first choice for this,” Raimi explained to Deadline. “The script was so good and he’s such a good communicator that we were able to interest Anthony Hopkins, who for my generation is just about the greatest actor ever. Glen’s character has got a soul to him that’s slowly revealed as the picture goes on. It seems as though he’s just a thief, someone that doesn’t care for others but as the film unfolds, you realize he has a wife and a child that he loves and he’s wronged, and this whole experience gives him a chance to reflect back on how he’s treated them, and how he’s lived his life relative to them.”
Raimi explained that the experience inside the car brings new focus to Powell’s character, adding, “Because his time is at hand. He’s told by Sir Anthony Hopkins’ character that this will be it for him, and so the self reflection is an element through the course of this adventure,” Raimi said. “But this is not an emotional piece as much as it is an action tension piece, a nonstop thrill ride with characters at the center you learn to care about. That will be a satisfying experience for the audience.”
I’m genuinely excited about this one. The original looks like a nail-biter, and I think Locked is the type of film to showcase Powell’s talents uniquely. Let us know if you’re interested in watching Hopkins and Powell act their pants off in Locked in the comments below.