Everly director Joe Lynch is beginning to set the wheels in motion for his next project, Mayhem, and The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that the filmmaker has set sights on his two leading stars – Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) and Australian actress Samara Weaving (The Babysitter).
Lifted from an eye-catching script produced by Matias Caruso – he penned Black List screenplay Carnival – Mayhem revolves around a deadly virus that causes Average Joes to lose control, acting out their wildest impulses in the process. Mayhem indeed.
Yeun will topline Lynch’s actioner as Derek Saunders, an attorney at law who finds his career hanging by a thread after being wrongfully accused of something unspeakable. But it’s out of the frying pan and into the freezer for our reluctant hero, who is left fighting for his life when the outbreak strikes. He spent five season fending off the undead on AMC’s flagship, but now Yeun will be battling against deranged humans. No word yet on how Weaving fits into proceedings, though we assume she’ll play an ally co-worker.
Welcoming his new recruits on board, here’s what Lynch had to say in an official statement:
“It’s not every day you get to throw action, sci-fi, horror, drama and even satire in the genre blender and hit puree, but Matias’ script, combined with a gung-ho cast and crew – especially Steven and Samara – will make for a deliciously dangerous and exciting cinematic smoothie…with a hell of a kick.”
THR notes that production is due to commence later this month in Belgrade, Serbia. With that in mind, and given Mayhem‘s independent nature, Lynch’s actioner could slot into a late 2016 release date.