Statham
West
Simon West will direct Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff's update of "The Mechanic."
Winkler and Chartoff produced the 1972 original, in which Charles Bronson played a highly skilled -- and massively detached -- hitman who finds himself training the son of one of his victims. Jason Statham is taking the Bronson role in the remake.
Pre-rights to the project were being sold at the Berlin Film Festival in February.
West, who last directed a remake of "When a Stranger Calls," will begin lensing this summer in Shreveport, La., where Nu Image/Millennium is building a studio.
William Chartoff and David Winkler are exec producing along with Nu Image/Millennium's Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and Avi Lerner. Karl Gajdusek penned the script.
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com