Amazon Studios Lands Rights To Thriller ‘All The Old Knives’ Starring Chris Pine And Thandie Newton; ‘ZeroZeroZero’s Janus Metz Signs On To Direct

Justin Kroll
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has come on to produce the actioner All the Old Knives, starring Chris Pine and Thandie Newton. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same title by Olen Steinhauer, who also adapted the screenplay, the studio has also tapped Janus Metz, who recently directed episodes of ZeroZeroZero for Amazon, to direct the spy thriller.

The film will be produced with Chockstone Pictures and Nick Wechsler Productions in association with Entertainment One (eOne). Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz and Nick Wechsler will produce through Chockstone Pictures and Matt Jackson will produce through his Jackson Pictures. Pine will exec produce through his Barry Linen Productions along with Joanne Lee of Jackson Pictures and Kate Churchill of Churchill Films. Richard Hewitt and Mark Gordon will also exec produce.

The story is set in the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea and follows ex-lovers — one a CIA spy, one an ex-spy — meet over dinner to reminisce on their time together at Vienna station. The conversation moves inevitably to the disastrous hijacking of Royal Jordanian Flight 127, which ended in the deaths of all on board. That failure haunts the CIA to this day, and Henry has come to Carmel to close the book on that seedy chapter. As they parry, flirting, over California cuisine, it becomes clear that one of them is not going to survive the meal.

Newton is currently nominated for a 2020 Emmy Award for her role as Maeve in the third season on HBO’s critically acclaimed series Westworld, an award she has already won for same role in 2018. Newton will next star in Lisa Joy’s feature, Reminiscence opposite Hugh Jackman for Warner Bros. She was in production on Julian Higgins’ feature directorial debut, God’s Country prior to the shutdown.

Pine will next star in the highly anticipated Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, reprising his role in the critically-acclaimed franchise as Steve Trevor in addition to the independent action-thriller, Violence of Action opposite Ben Foster. He also has the Olivia Wilde directed thriller Don’t Worry Darling shooting later this year.

Metz directed the critically acclaimed Borg vs McEnroe and one of this year’s most talked about television shows, Amazon Prime Video’s ZeroZeroZero.

Newton is repped by Untitled Entertainment, WME and Independent Talent Group. Pine is repped by CAA, John Carrabino Management and Gendler & Kelly. Metz is managed by Scott Greenberg/LBI, Dana O’Keefe and CAA. Jackson Pictures is repped by Neil Sacker at Manatt and CAA. Wechsler and the Schwartzes were repped on the pic deals by attorneys Dave Fox and Jen Grega of Myman, Greenspan, Fox, Rosenberg, Mobasser, Younger & Light.

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