Cannes: Samuel L. Jackson to Star in Actioner 'Big Game'

The "Avengers" star is Team USA's No. 1 fan, unleashing an amazing barrage of more than 200 tweets since the Games began

The project will mark the English-language debut for Jalmari Helander, with Jackson starring as the U.S. president.

LONDON -- Samuel L. Jackson is attached to star as the U.S. president in rising star Jalmari Helander's English-language debut, Big Game.

The movie is from the team behind Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, which premiered in 2010 at Locarno and Toronto.

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The movie is billed as an adrenaline-fuelled action-adventure and tells the story of a shy, nervous 13-year-old boy who, like his forefathers, takes a test of manhood by spending one day and night alone in the wilderness of a vast local forest.

Armed only with a bow and arrow, his task is to return with a prize to prove himself. But when Air Force One is shot down by terrorists, the young man discovers the U.S. president in an escape pod, and they have to team up as the terrorists close in.

Helander will direct, and Petri Jokiranta will produce under the pair's Subzero banner, with Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Dredd) serving as executive producer.

Will Clarke and Andy Mayson will co-produce for Altitude Film Entertainment with German partner Jens Meurer of Egoli Tossell Films.

Altitude will debut the project during the Marche du Film, with production set to commence in late summer in Finland and Germany, working with Bavaria Studio Film Partners and on location.

Altitude also is birthing the first project to come from its creative partnership with The Woman in Black director James Watkins.

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Award-winning actor and filmmaker Peter Mullan will star in The Loch, written by Watkins and Simon Duric, with Duric to direct.

Altitude founder Will Clarke and Watkins will produce.

Billed as a terrifying, bold new take on the Loch Ness myth, the script follows a family full of secrets as they take a weekend away to Loch Ness. Once there, their lives are pulled apart by dark forces beyond their control.

The film is due to go into production during the fourth quarter, Altitude said.

U.K.-based vertically integrated banner Altitude Film Entertainment was launched last year by Clarke, founder of U.K. independent producer and distributor Optimum Releasing, who sold the biz to Studio Canal.

Clarke said: "We are achieving what we set out to do by working with the best of U.K. and international talent and distinctive filmmakers in developing and producing highly commercial projects from the ground up and bringing them to market. To be attracting world-class talent such as Samuel L Jackson and Peter Mullan and working with filmmakers such as James Watkins and Jalmari Helander is indicative of the quality of the projects, the ambition of the films we want Altitude to be involved in and the creative relationships we are enjoying."