Uma Thurman Joins American Ultra

She's in talks to handle Jesse Eisenberg

Uma Thurman, BAFTA 2014

by Owen Williams |
Published on

Reunited after Adventureland, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart are already at the top of the cast list for American Ultra. They now look to be gaining some fierce support: Uma Thurman is in talks to join them{ =nofollow}.

Eisenberg plays "unmotivated stoner" Mike in the action comedy, with Stewart his girlfriend. They live an uneventful life in a small town until it turns out that Mike is actually a Bourne-like amnesiac sleeper agent in a program the government has decided to shut down and wipe out.

Thurman's role - if she takes it - is that of Mike's former handler, who spearheaded the programme and is now determined to protect her charge. According to the synopsis she'll "fight like a momma bear to protect her cub". Sounds like an opportunity to bring some Bride-like toughness to a role not dissimilar to Angelina Jolie's in Wanted.

Stoner action comedies can be hit and miss: sometimes you get a Pineapple Express and sometimes you get a Dude, Where's My Car?. The pedigree of this one is looking promising, however, with that cast backed up by a screenplay from Max Landis (Chronicle).

On the other hand, the director is Nima Nourizadeh, whose last film was Project X. But even that objectionable nonsense had a decent sense of violent escalation to it, so hopefully an action film with a witty script will prove a great fit for him.

Producer Anthony Bregman promises that, “American Ultra will be the most fun you can possibly have in a movie theater without the use of drugs, fireworks, or canola oil". Shooting starts on April 14.

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