EXCLUSIVE: Myriad Pictures will launch world pre-sales at TIFF on Stealing From Pablo, a thriller inspired by true events and directed by Carlos V. Gutierrez (Stay Safe) and produced by FJ Productions.
The film is due to star Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things), David Mazouz (Gotham), and Seu Jorge (City of God).
Based on real events from the 1980s, pic follows “Red, a teenager trapped in the foster care system who organizes an underground skate session inside an abandoned Florida mansion with his best friend Dylan. What begins as an adrenaline-fueled adventure turns into a nightmare when the boys discover the estate belongs to notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. As they are drawn deeper into Escobar’s violent criminal empire, they find themselves caught between his calculating accountant and his ruthless chief assassin.”
Fresh off wrapping the hit series Stranger Things, Schnapp will first take to the London stage in September, starring in Andy Sandberg’s dark comedy Affluenza, before reteaming on screen with Seu Jorge for Stealing For Pablo. The two previously starred in Abe, the 2019 coming-of-age film.
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The film is being produced by Fabio Golombek (Experimenter) and Shannon Alexander for FJ Productions. Executive producers include Noah Schnapp, Seu Jorge, Alex Cohen (Synkronized), and Marco Gomez.
Carlos V. Gutierrez said: “We needed actors who genuinely connected with the genre and felt at home in the world we are building. We really lucked out with this cast. Noah and David are incredible actors. Not only are they at the top of their game, but their parallel journeys growing up in front of the camera give them an unspoken connection that brings an authenticity to the best friend dynamic. Factoring in that they both love to skateboard made them a natural fit. Then when you add in an international superstar like Seu Jorge, we’re really hitting the ground running with this.”
Kirk D’Amico shared: “Stealing From Pablo delivers the kind of tense, high-concept storytelling that immediately grabs an audience. Inspired by an extraordinary true story, the film combines the suspense of a crime thriller with compelling young protagonists thrust into unimaginable circumstances. Carlos has assembled a tremendous cast led by Noah Schnapp, David Mazouz, and Seu Jorge, creating a film with both strong commercial appeal and international resonance. We are excited to introduce this project to buyers at TIFF: The Market.”
Carlos V. Gutierrez is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose career spans prestige networks like HBO, Showtime, and Peacock. He transitioned into features with his theatrical debut, Locked In, starring Mena Suvari and Jeff Fahey, and followed that crime thriller with Stay Safe, starring Kate Miner, under his company No Parachute Films.
Seu Jorge is represented by Pierre Chene at Black Service. Mazouz is represented by Paradigm, Untitled Entertainment and Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman. Schnapp is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Untitled Entertainment.
