James McTeigue Tapped to Direct ‘Message from the King’

James McTeigue at the Ninja Assassin Premiere
James McTeigue at the ‘Ninja Assassin’ Premiere (Photo © Richard Chavez)

James McTeigue’s reuniting with FilmNation Entertainment for Message from the King, a character-driven thriller that “centers on Jacob King, an enigmatic outsider who comes to Los Angeles to investigate the sudden and mysterious disappearance of his sister.” McTeigue, who just wrapped up work on FilmNation’s The Raven with John Cusack playing Edgar Allan Poe, will be directing Message from the King from a script by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell.

FilmNation Entertainment’s head of production Aaron Ryder and Rhodri Thomas of The Ink Factory are producing. Filming is expected to start in late fall. FilmNation hasn’t announced a projected release date.

“After working with James on The Raven and then seeing a cut of the film, it was very clear to us that we needed to make his next movie. We are thrilled to be working with him again,” stated FilmNation’s Aaron Ryder.

Added The Ink Factory’s Rhodri Thomas, “This script harks back to our favorite character-led thrillers of the 1970s, but depicts Los Angeles in a distinctive, contemporary light. With James at the helm, we’re sure to see something exciting and original.”

In addition to Message from the King, writers Cornwell and Butcher are working on adapting Warren Ellis’s graphic novel series, Gravel, for Legendary Pictures.