Summary

• Mel Gibson's upcoming film Flight Risk is a departure from his usual historical epics, promising a wild and action-packed thrill ride according to its producer
• The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, with a trailer featuring Wahlberg as a balding and psychotic mob hitman.
• Boy Kills World, also produced by Hammerstone Studios, is a hyperkinetic blast of an action comedy now in theaters, offering fun escapism.

Mel Gibson hasn't directed a film since the excellent 2016 war picture, Hacksaw Ridge. He's been working on a sequel to his massive success, The Passion of the Christ, for quite a while, but in the meantime, it looks like he's going to have some fun with an action thriller. Gibson is directing the upcoming movie Flight Risk, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace. The thriller seems like a far cry from Gibson's other directorial features, which are mainly historical epics such as Braveheart, Apocalypto, and the aforementioned Passion of the Christ. Hammerstone Studios' Alex Lebovici produces Flight Risk, and explained Gibson's interest:

"It was funny," explained Lebovici. "So I came to Mel with a different project. And he's like, 'No, I don't want that project. I have one that I'm really excited about.' It's just so zany and wild and action packed and cool, and Mark is fantastic. And Michelle Dockery, who is also in Boy Kills World, is one of the main leads, and Topher Grace." Lebovici added, in reference to Gibson:

It is definitely different than anything he's ever done before. It's very intimate, very contained. I think he got into it during the pandemic, and just kind of like fell in love with it. And for good reason. It's just a wild and fun thrill ride, and we're excited for the world to see that one, too.

Based on the trailer that premiered at CinemaCon (via Variety), the film follows, "Wahlberg, who specializes in square-jawed heroes, is balding and psychotic, playing a mob hit man who tricks a federal agent into allowing him to pilot a plane carrying an informant out of a remote area. Scenery is chewed as Wahlberg sports a faux Southern accent and flashes a sociopathic glint in his eye."

Flight Risk is one of many films that Lebovici and Hammerstone Studios is producing. They are working with A24 on the upcoming adaptation of Hideo Kojima's groundbreaking video game, Death Stranding. They have completed filming the follow-up to the bombastic short film, Kung Fury. And he's working with Sam Raimi's production studio on Don't Move, which follows their most recent project together, Boy Kills World.

Boy Kills World Is an Explosive Action Comedy

Moritz Mohr's film, Boy Kills World, just hit theaters on April 26, and it's a hyperkinetic blast. Bill Skarsgård stars as Boy, a young man who has grown up training for revenge against the totalitarian state that killed his family and turned him deaf and mute. Along his path of vengeance, he'll discover some disturbing revelations about the world and his reality. Lebovici said of Boy Kills World and the Hammerstone ethos in general:

"We want to make fun films. The world's a tough place, and nothing seems to be easy these days. And so, this is great escapism. This movie is so much fun [...] I've seen people comment before on trailers, being like, 'Oh, they gave away the whole movie in the trailer.' We absolutely do not give away the whole movie. When you have all these superhero movies, this is one that is extremely original and unexpected."

From Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, Boy Kills World is now in theaters. You can watch the trailer below: