Billy Bob Thornton Joins Dwayne Johnson in 'Faster' for CBS Films

Billy Bob Thornton Joins Dwayne Johnson in 'Faster' for CBS Films

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Billy Bob Thornton has signed on to star opposite Dwayne Johnson in "Faster," a co-production of CBS Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group. The announcement was made today by Amy Baer, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Films, the feature film division of CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS.A) (NYSE:and) (NYSE:CBS) . The project, which is scheduled to start principal photography in mid-January, will be directed by George Tillman, Jr. ("Notorious," "Men of Honor," "Soul Food").

In this action thriller scripted by Joe and Tony Gayton, an ex-con (Johnson) sets out to avenge his brother's murder with a deadly to-do list. Trailed by a veteran cop (Thornton) and an egocentric hit man, he methodically races against time to bring those responsible to 'justice.' Casting for the hit man is currently underway.

The film will be produced by Castle Rock Entertainment's Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer, alongside Tony Gayton and Robert Teitel. Joe Gayton will executive produce.

An accomplished actor/director, and an Academy Award®-winning screenwriter (for "Sling Blade," of which he also starred and directed), Thornton has over 40 film credits to his name including "A Simple Plan," "Pushing Tin," "Monster's Ball," "Bad Santa," and, most recently, "Eagle Eye." In addition to starring in "Faster," Thornton will co-produce the upcoming "Three Nights In August," an adaptation of H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger's ("Friday Night Lights") book about the 2003 three-game baseball series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

About CBS Films

CBS Films, established in 2007, plans to produce four to six movies a year spanning all genres, with production budgets up to $50 million per film.

CBS Films is currently in post production on three films: "Extraordinary Measures" an inspirational drama starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser, and co-starring Keri Russell, written by Robert Nelson Jacobs and directed by Tom Vaughan; the romantic comedy "The Back-up Plan," starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin, written by Kate Angelo and directed by Alan Poul; and the edgy teen romance "Beastly" starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer, written and directed by Daniel Barnz. The film is based on the Alex Flinn novel of the same name. The company's development slate includes the Susannah Grant-penned romantic drama "I'll Be There" (a remake of the successful Korean film "A Moment To Remember"); "Consent To Kill," an action-thriller based on the Mitch Rapp character from the best-selling Vince Flynn novels; the romantic thriller "The Eternals" written by Chris Hauty and directed by Jeff Wadlow; "The Station," a thriller set against the International Space Station and based on a popular Boom! Studios comic book series; an action-adventure feature adaptation of the long-running TV show "Gunsmoke"; and a remake of "My Fair Lady," based on the classic musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, which is being co-developed with Columbia Pictures. For more information, log on to www.cbsfilms.com.

About CBS Corporation

CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS.A) (NYSE:and) (NYSE:CBS) is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and The CW - a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime Networks and CBS College Sports Network), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment) and motion pictures (CBS Films). For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: CBS Films

CONTACT: Maggie Schmidt of CBS Films, +1-310-575-7027,
maggie.schmidt@cbs.com; Flo Grace, +1-310-553-4477, flo@gracepr.net

Web Site: http://www.cbsfilms.com/
http://www.cbscorporation.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment