Berlin

Highland Film Group announced today Bella Thorne (Assassination Nation, “Famous in Love”) has signed on to star in writer/director Joshua Caldwell’s (Layover) Southland. Colin Bates and Michael Jefferson of Lucidity Entertainment are producing alongside Thor Bradwell and Scott Levenson. Garrett Clayton, Katie Leary, Bennett Litwin and Adam Litwin will serve as executive producers. Highland Film Group will handle worldwide sales, which commence in Berlin this week.

Living in a small Florida town and working at a diner was never Arielle’s (Thorne) dream life. She's always wanted more. Fame. Popularity. Admiration. When she falls for a recently paroled young criminal named Dean, she drags him back into a life of danger, learning that posting their criminal exploits on social media is an easy way to viral fame. Obsessed with their rising number of followers, they embark on a dangerous adventure together that leads to robbery, cop chases and even murder. Heading to Hollywood, the City of Stars, they will realize what it takes to become famous and have to decide if this dangerous lifestyle is really worth it. Principal photography will commence this spring.

Thorne is an actress and singer, known for roles in Lionsgate’s The Duff, Warner Bros Blended, Freeform’s series “Famous in Love,” and Open Road Films’ Midnight Sun. Most recently, she starred in NEON’s Assassination Nation, alongside Maude Apatow, Suki Waterhouse, and Joel McHale.

Caldwell is a director/writer/producer who made his feature directorial debut with the French language film Layover in 2014. The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and was nominated for the FIPRESCI New American Cinema Award. He then directed the first season of the HULU series “South Beach” and Be Somebody for Paramount Pictures. Most recently, he helmed the independent spy thriller Negative.

Thorne is represented by CAA and Thirty Three Management and Caldwell is represented by CAA and Coronel Group.

HFG’s diversified production and sales slate includes: Joe Carnahan’s Boss Level starring Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts and Mel Gibson; Michael Cristofer’s The Night Clerk starring Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas and Helen Hunt; Marc Meyer’s thriller We Summon the Darkness starring Alexandra Daddario; Shawn Ku’s action thriller A Score to Settle starring Nicolas Cage; Vaughn Stein’s Terminal starring Margot Robbie, which released earlier this year; the star-studded Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Diego Luna, and Jenna Dewan Tatum; Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa; and Steven C. Miller’s action thriller Escape Plan 2: Hades starring Sylvester Stallone and Dave Bautista.