Luis Tosar Set for ‘El Desconocido’ (EXCLUSIVE)

MADRID — Luis Tosar (“Miami Vice”) is reteaming with screenwriter Alberto Marini and Spanish production house Vaca Films for high-concept psychological thriller “El Desconocido” (Retribution).

Vicente Canales’ Film Factory has acquired international rights to “El Desconocido.”

Produced by Vaca, Tosar starrer “Cell 211” was one of Spain’s biggest recent smash hits. Tosar also toplined Jaume Balaguero’s “Sleep Tight,” which was written by Marini, a co-scribe on “REC.”

Set to be unveiled at Spanish feature project showcase Small Is Beautiful, which takes place June 21 in Paris, “Desconocido” marks the feature debut of Galician TV director Dani de la Torre, who helmed action adventure miniseries “Mar libre.”

With a first draft screenplay now completed by Marini, “Desconocido” is set in a mid-sized city. It turns on a bank executive who leaves his kids at school and then receives an anonymous phone call informing him he has just a few hours to obtain a large amount of money or a bomb under his seat will explode.

Tosar is attached to play the bank exec. “Desconocido” will shoot in La Coruna, Northern Spain.

Vaca aims to structure “Desconocido” as a French or German co-production, said Vaca producer Emma Lustres. Hence its presence at Small Is Biutiful.

“We have always had a happy experience with French co-producers. France is a priority market for us,” she added.

“ ‘Desconocido’ turns on a man’s desperate attempt to get money out of banks. In this sense, it’s a strong and highly contemporary thriller,” Lustres said.

Vaca Films’ credits also include Miguel Angel Vivas’ home invasion thriller “Kidnapped,” who won best horror feature and director at the Austin Fantastic Fest in 2010.


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