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'Empire City' first look shows Gerard Butler leading a daring rescue through a New York skyscraper

Melbourne's Swanston and Collins streets have reportedly been transformed into downtown Manhattan for the filming of 'Empire City'

Gerard Butler is once again racing against time to rescue hostages in a newly released picture from the upcoming action-thriller 'Empire City'. Directed by Michael Matthews, the 'Olympus Has Fallen' star is set to return to his action avatar in the movie, which also stars Hayley Atwell as Butler's character's wife. With most details still under wraps, Deadline recently revealed a first-look image of Butler as Navy SEAL-turned-firefighter Rhett. 

'Empire City' follows Rhett, his team, and his NYPD wife Dani (Hayley Atwell) as they battle through New York's Clybourn Building to stop a hostage crisis. Omari Hardwick also stars in the movie, playing the villain Hawkins. The film, produced by Marc Butan, Butler, Alan Siegel, and Paul Currie, has a screenplay by Brian Tucker and S. Craig Zahler, as per Deadline. International sales are being handled by The Veterans, with CAA Media Finance managing domestic rights as sales continue at Berlin's European Film Market.

Reportedly, Melbourne's Swanston and Collins streets have been transformed into downtown Manhattan for the filming of 'Empire City,' with NYC-style taxis, renamed streets, heavy equipment, and tram closures enabling night shoots, as per The Age. Swanston Street is doubling as Fifth Avenue with heavy film equipment filling the Town Hall concourse, while Little Collins Street has been transformed into West 52nd Street for night shoots that require tram closure.

Notably, Butler's career has long been defined by high-octane action, from his breakout role in '300' to leading the 'Has Fallen' trilogy, and 'Empire City' continues that trajectory. The supporting cast of 'Empire City' includes Mel Jarnson, Tre Hale, Michael Beach, Dominic Bogart, Stephen Murphy, Jack DiFalco, and Kaiwi Lyman. Butler also has an exciting lineup of projects in the pipeline, with several highly anticipated films already generating buzz. He has completed filming a role in Jamie Foxx's 'All-Star Weekend'.

Adding to his packed schedule, 'Den of Thieves 3' is also officially on the way, further cementing Butler's continued presence in major action and franchise films. 'Empire City' also reunites Butler with Lyman, who previously appeared in the original 'Den of Thieves'. As filming progresses, Butler is simultaneously involved in production on the live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon' 2, where he is reprising the role of Stoick, a character he famously voiced in the animated franchise. 

Talking about Atwell, the actress is widely recognized for her portrayal of Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her recent role as Grace in the 'Mission: Impossible' series, while Hardwick adds to the Empire City's intensity with past action performances in Zack Snyder's 'Army of the Dead' and Matthew Vaughn's 'Kick-Ass', as per ScreenRant. Empire City marks Gerard Butler's return to an original, standalone action film, and his proven box office appeal beyond franchises boosts the thriller's commercial prospects.