AFM: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Boards Hijacking Thriller '7500'

FilmNation and Endeavor Content are selling the feature debut from Oscar-nominated short film director Patrick Vollrath.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has signed on to star in 7500, an airline hijacking thriller that will mark the feature debut of Oscar-nominated shorts director Patrick Vollrath.

The Inception and Looper star will play Tobias Ellis, a co-pilot whose smooth commercial trip from Berlin to Paris is interrupted by terrorists armed with glass bottles who try to take over the flight. Ellis has to first fight off his attackers and then negotiate with them to ensure the safety of everyone on board. Paul Dano was originally linked to the project.

Gordon-Levitt recently appeared in Oliver Stone's Snowden and is set to direct and star, alongside Channing Tatum, in the upcoming R-rated musical Wingman. He is represented by WME and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer.

Director Vollrath attracted attention and an Oscar nom for best live-action short, with his 2015 thriller Everything Will Be Okay. He is repped by Gotham Group in the U.S. and Schlag Agency in Germany.

Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo of Cologne-based Augenschein Filmproduktion are producing 7500 with Franz Novotny and Alexander Glehr as co-producers. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lindsay Williams of The Gotham Group will executive produce.

Principal photography begins Tuesday with shooting in Cologne and Vienna, Austria.

Augenschein are currently in development on Vollrath's next project, No Man of God, the story of the last days of serial killer Ted Bundy, which they are preparing together with Elijah Wood's shingle SpectreVision.

Glen Basner's FilmNation is handling international rights to 7500, with Endeavor Content selling North America for the feature. Universum has picked up the film for release in Germany.