‘Tyrant’ teaser hints at Charlize Theron’s boldest role yet in Amazon’s intense thriller
Charlize Theron is all set to cook up a storm in Amazon MGM Studios thriller 'Tyrant.' Renowned for action movies like 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' 'Æon Flux,' and 'The Old Guard,' to name a few, Theron will be seen in a completely new avatar in a culinary movie. Set against the high-end world of cooking in New York City, the movie is based on a story by David Weil and Cody Behan, and honestly, it exactly looks like Theron's kind of movie.
Written and directed by Weil, the project is being produced by The Picture Company's Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona, along with Theron's Secret Menu partners Beth Kono and AJ Dix, and Weil's producing partner Natalie Laine Williams, as per Deadline. Amazon and The Picture Company won the rights after a bidding war in August, fast-tracking development once Theron joined. While Theron will take the lead, another major female role is currently being cast, hinting at two powerhouse performances in the film.
Plot details for 'Tyrant' are being kept under wraps, but the film is described as having shades of 'Wall Street' and 'Whiplash,' set in New York City's high-end culinary world. Director Weil also has several other major projects in motion, including the spec script 'Supermax' at Miramax (with David Gordon Green set to direct), a film adaptation about journalist Evan Gershkovich for United Artists and Edward Berger, and writing 'Extraction 3' for Netflix.
Theron's production company, Secret Menu, also has an ambitious slate of upcoming projects, including the Netflix thriller 'Apex,' co-starring Taron Egerton and directed by Baltasar Kormákur; a Blumhouse limited series adaptation of 'The Quiet Tenant' by Anthony E Zuiker; 'Jane,' a psychological thriller inspired by Philip K Dick's life, written by Jack Thorne and directed by Alfonso Cuarón; and 'Two for the Money,' a heist-themed film directed by Justin Lin and starring Theron. She'll also appear in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' next summer.
Notably, Theron is also set to act and produce in a family comedy, 'Dance Parents,' with Channing Tatum. Reportedly, Jonathan Levine is set to direct and produce, and Meghan Malloy is writing the script. The project is currently in early development, having attracted multiple bidders before landing at Universal, as per Deadline. While plot details for 'Dance Parents' remain under wraps, the title suggests it will center on the world of young competitive dancers and their overzealous parents. The film reunites Theron and Tatum, who first danced together onstage at the 2013 Academy Awards.