Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has come on board the Michael Bay thriller “Ambulance” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, with shooting expected early next month.
“Ambulance” was first announced a month ago with plot details under tight wraps. The script, written by Chris Fedak, is based on a 2005 Dutch thriller about two brothers on the run from the police. They go on to steal an ambulance without knowing it already carries a female paramedic and a patient in critical condition.
Eiza González has signed up for the role of the paramedic. James Vanderbilt, Bradley Fischer and Will Sherak are producing, and Universal is distributing.
Abdul-Mateen broke out as the villain Black Manta in the 2018 DC Comics superhero film “Aquaman.” He also starred in HBO’s limited series “Watchmen” and won an Emmy for best supporting actor, and he portrays Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale in Aaron Sorkin’s true-life drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” The actor is also starring in the horror film “Candyman” and the fourth installment of “The Matrix,” both due next year.
Bay is also a producer on the pandemic thriller “Songbird,” starring KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Jenna Ortega, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare. “Songbird” producers announced on July 8 that they had launched principal photography in Los Angeles — the first film to shoot in the city since the start of coronavirus-induced lockdown. STX released “Songbird” on premium VOD on Friday. Bay recently directed Netflix’s “6 Underground,” and his credits as producer or director include “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and the “Transformers” franchise.
Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy award for “Brokeback Mountain” and his credits include “Zodiac” (2007), “Source Code” (2011), “End of Watch” (2012), “Nightcrawler” (2014), “Southpaw” (2015) and “Stronger” (2017). Abdul-Mateen is repped by WME, M88 and Ziffren Brittenham.
