Posted: Fri., Feb. 6, 2009, 2:24pm PT

Mickey Rourke to star in 'St. Vincent'

Walter Hill directing indie film about hit man

By Dave McNary

Rourke

Mickey Rourke will star in indie drama “St. Vincent,” directed by Walter Hill for Occupant Films and Secret Handshake Entertainment.

Production’s slated to begin later this year. Keith Calder, Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino of Occupant and Dena Hysell and Joe Gressis of Secret Handshake will produce the film.

“St. Vincent,” scripted by Cameron Young, centers on a hit man returning to his former New York City neighborhood to finish off the botched killing of an informant. He’s then forced to masquerade as a priest and finds himself taking the confessions of his target.

International rights are being sold by Stuart Ford’s IM Global with North American rights handled by ICM.

Occupant’s most recent film was “The Wackness.” Secret Handshake’s in pre-production on “A Little Help,” directed by Michael J. Weithorn.

Rourke and Hill worked together on 1989’s “Johnny Handsome.”