Freya Allan, who stars in “The Witcher” and was a lead in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” and María Pedraza, who appeared in “Money Heist” and “Elite,” have joined the cast of “Europa,” from Bjorn Franklin and Johnny Marchetta, the filmmaking duo behind “Salvable,” starring Shia LaBeouf.
The film, billed as a contemporary “Thelma & Louise” set in Europe, also stars William Abadie (“Emily in Paris,” “And Just Like That”) and Toby Kebbell (“Servant,” “RocknRolla,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”).
“Europa” follows Arielle, a young British woman who leaves London and drives across France and Spain in an impulsive act of escape, “forming an intense relationship that forces her to confront grief, identity and belonging,” according to a statement from the producers, Featuristic Films.
“Blending emotional intimacy with the rebellious energy of a road movie thriller, the film is designed as a raw cinematic odyssey through a fractured Europe,” Featuristic said.
The project marks the second collaboration between Franklin and Marchetta and Featuristic, which produced the directors’ debut feature “Salvable,” starring Kebbell, LaBeouf and James Cosmo.
“Salvable” secured U.S. and U.K. distribution through Grindstone/Lionsgate and Vertical, and the title climbed to the No. 1 crime position in the U.K. on Amazon Prime.
“Europa” also brings together other “Salvable” alumni: casting director Aisling Knight, production designer Sabrina Linder, fresh off of the BAFTA winning success of “I Swear,” and cinematographer Simon Plunkett. The script is penned by Simon Richardson, and Fergus Thirlwell will compose the original score.
It is co-produced by Fabrice Lambot in France for Phase 4 Productions (“The Soul Eater,” “Babysitter”).
The production will shoot across locations in Europe, predominantly in France and Spain.
“ ‘Europa’ is about escape, identity and the search for connection in a divided world,” said Franklin and Marchetta in a joint statement. “We wanted to make something emotionally immediate and cinematic at the same time – a film that feels intimate, alive and completely immersed in the places and people it encounters.”
Featuristic’s Julien Loeffler and James Kermack added, “We are so proud of ‘Salvable’ and the relationships built on that film with Bjorn and Johnny, that we felt a real affinity towards ‘Europa’ when they brought it to us. Featuristic Films was born and built by us, an Englishman and Frenchman with strong European ties, and so this felt like a natural fit for the slate. Championing powerful, cinematic storytelling for international audiences has always been central to Featuristic Films ethos, which makes continuing our collaboration with Franklin and Marchetta on ‘Europa’ alongside this incredible cast especially exciting.”
Featuristic is finalizing key distribution and financing ahead of production, which is scheduled to commence later this year.
