Netflix is developing a new mystery action thriller called Scope, and the project has an interesting team behind it. Deadline reports that Warfare co-director Ray Mendoza is attached to direct the film, with Jaume Collet-Serra producing.
Described as a mystery action thriller in the vein of Disturbia and Rear Window, Scope follows a battle-hardened special forces operator who returns home to recover from a traumatic injury. While trying to adjust to life back in the suburbs, he becomes caught up in an unexpected mystery.
That setup sounds like it could make good use of the familiar idea of someone seeing something they weren’t supposed to see, but Scope is also coming from filmmakers with extensive experience in action and military stories.
The screenplay began as a spec script written by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, the brothers behind Netflix’s animated series Blood of Zeus, along with Scott Charnick. Netflix picked up the script before it went out for a wider sale through Collet-Serra’s production company, Jadis Collective.
Ray Mendoza is directing Scope
Mendoza is an interesting choice for Scope after his work on Warfare. The former Navy SEAL co-wrote and co-directed that A24 action drama with Alex Garland. Warfare was inspired by Mendoza’s experiences as a SEAL and focused on a group of soldiers caught in an intense combat situation. Mendoza has also directed the Western drama Blood on the Promontory, which stars Sam Worthington, Jai Courtney, Jack Quaid, Jaeden Martell, and LaMonica Garrett. His television credits include work on Prime Video’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
That background could make Mendoza a natural fit for a thriller in which a military veteran finds himself dealing with a very different kind of threat after returning home.
Jaume Collet-Serra is producing
Collet-Serra will produce Scope through Jadis Collective alongside Max Jacoby. Trevor Engelson and Josh McGuire of Underground will also produce. The movie is the latest project to come from Collet-Serra’s creative partnership with Netflix. He signed his deal with the streamer following the success of Carry-On, the 2024 airport action thriller starring Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman.
Carry-On became one of Netflix’s most-watched movies ever, and Collet-Serra has several other projects in development with the streamer. Those include An Innocent Girl, a Washington, D.C.-set psychological thriller starring Kerry Washington, along with the action thriller The Cage and Maelstrom, an action movie set to star Reacher actor Alan Ritchson. Netflix also acquired his World War II survival thriller Play Dead earlier this year.
Who wrote Scope?
The Parlapanides brothers are best known as the creators of Netflix’s adult animated series Blood of Zeus, which ran for three seasons. Their other credits include the films Immortals and Death Note.
Charnick brings a unique background to the project. Before becoming a screenwriter, he spent 19 years as a Special Forces operator and another six years as an MI6 agent. After leaving active duty, he worked as a technical adviser on military and espionage productions for major studios and networks. That experience has led to writing assignments and original projects for the likes of Warner Bros., Sony, Alcon, ABC, Fox, Sky Atlantic, and ITV.
When will Scope be released?
Scope is currently in development at Netflix, so there is no release date yet. The cast has not been announced, either. For now, the combination of Mendoza’s military background, Collet Serra’s action-thriller track record, and the Rear Window/Disturbia premise makes Scope a project worth keeping an eye on. Netflix has not announced when production will begin.
Does Scope sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Netflix thriller project by leaving a comment below.
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