Aura Takes Renny Harlin’s The Beast with Samuel L. Jackson for U.S.

Aura Entertainment has picked up U.S. rights to The Beast, a new action-thriller from Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Die Hard 2), starring Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman.

Jackson plays a U.S. President who comes under attack as a militia group tries to stage a coup. Caught inside the presidential limousine, code-named ‘The Beast’ by the Secret Service, he discovers the car is also a superweapon, with highly-classified offensive capabilities. He decides to use the machine to, in the words of the promo blurb, “to fight his way back to safety, his country, and the woman he loves.”

The Beast is produced by Keith Kjarval, Wayne Godfrey, Nicki Cortese, Rob Van Norden, and John Logan Pierson, together with Fifth Season. Aura Entertainment are planning a fourth quarter theatrical release for the film.

“The Beast is exactly the kind of film that gets audiences back in theaters,” said Aura Entertainment CEO Marc Goldberg. “Renny Harlin knows how to deliver action at the highest level, and with Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman leading the charge, this film is going to be an absolute must-see event. We couldn’t be more excited to bring it to audiences this fall.”

The deal was negotiated by Goldberg on behalf of Aura and by WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers. WME Independent is representing international sales on the title.

The Beast adds to Aura’s growing slate. The company, launched by Capstone Studios, Signature Entertainment, and Ascending Media Group ahead of the Cannes film market last year, has since rollout out action comedy Code 3, starring Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery and Aimee Carrero; K-Pops!, the directorial debut of rapper Anderson .Paak; and the Dave Bautista action movie Trap House. Upcoming releases include the Hippo survival thriller Hungry, and the shark thriller Above and Below starring Laura Marano and Antonio Banderas.

Aura has said it plans to release 10-15 titles a year.