Netflix Buys Liam Neeson’s Next Action Flick ‘The Ice Road’
There are a few givens in this industry, two of them being:Netflixhas a bottomless well of money to burn through, andLiam Neesonis not yet done making action movies. Both are true in this latest acquisition news story, which is that Netflix has set a record for domestic-only deals for the Liam Neeson action-thrillerThe Ice Road.
Deadline reports that Netflix has forked over $18 million for the Liam Neeson and Laurence Fisburne action thrillerThe Ice Road, setting a record for domestic-only deals out of the European Film Market, or EFM. The streaming giant won the U.S. rights toThe Ice Roadin a deal closed over the weekend as virtual EFM sales were underway, beating out multiple buyers for the film, per Deadline.
Here is the logline forThe Ice Road:
InTheIce Road, after a remote diamond mine collapses in the far northern regions of Canada, anicedriver (Neeson) leads an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save the lives of trapped miners despite thawing waters and a threat they never see coming.
The movie sounds like a grim action thriller along the lines of Neeson’s 2011 survival filmThe Grey— a bleak drama which was one of the rare non-action films for the actor, who has been making genre films nonstop since the 2008 filmTakeninexplicably turned the former prestige actor of dramas likeSchindler’s Listinto an action hero. But the actor has been getting up in age, and has claimed frequently over the past couple years that he’s done with the genre — only towalk back his retirementto churn out a few more. But after the next few, he’s done, Neeson recently claimed.
OnceThe Ice Roadand an upcoming assassin movie calledMemoryare released, Neeson claims he’s done with the action genre for good. At least that’s what he saidearlier this year. “Oh, yeah. I think so. I’m 68 and a half. There’s a couple more I’m going to do this year – hopefully, Covid allowing us – there’s a couple in the pipeline and then I think that will probably be it,” Neeson said.
The Ice Roadis written and directed byDie Hard With A VengeanceandArmageddonscribeJonathan Hensleigh. CODE Entertainment produced and financed alongside ShivHans Pictures. Envision Media Arts also produced.
CAA Media finance brokered the deal with Netflix. The Solution handled foreign sales and has sold the movie well around the world.
