MOVIE NEWS – After last year’s action-packed Carry-On, Taron Egerton is stepping into even more intense territory with a gritty new thriller. Known for his explosive work in the Kingsman franchise, Egerton now swaps comic book chaos for high-stakes drama in She Rides Shotgun—here’s the first look and everything we know so far.

Directed by Nick Rowland and based on Jordan Harper’s novel, She Rides Shotgun is written by Harper, Ben Collins, and Luke Piotrowski. Starring Ana Sophia Heger, Rob Yang, and John Carroll Lynch alongside Egerton, the story centers on a father who, freshly released from prison, must protect both himself and his daughter from a relentless wave of enemies. Lionsgate has scheduled the release for August 1, and now the official synopsis and new images have been revealed.

“In the gritty, explosive action-thriller She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton stars as newly released ex-con Nate. Marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) at all costs. Shy, precocious, and wary of her father, Polly is swept up in Nate’s dangerous plight as they flee to evade the corrupt sheriff and brutal leader of a gang who will stop at nothing to protect his criminal interests. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means in this intense, moving story about loyalty, strength, and redemption.”

She Rides Shotgun Mixes Raw Violence with Powerful Emotion

Produced by Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Nate Matteson, Hiro Murai, and Taron Egerton, with executive producers Ken Kao, Josh Rosenbaum, Teddy Schwarzman, John Friedberg, Walter Parkes, Laurie Macdonald, Alexis Garcia, Chris Rice, Christopher Slager, and Graham Taylor, and music by Blanck Mass, She Rides Shotgun aims for modern action-thriller status.

“I cannot recall a happier or more soul-enriching experience than making She Rides Shotgun,” Egerton said. “It is without doubt the most tender and felt relationship I have had with an actor on screen. Ana Sophia Heger was ten when we made the film and she is nothing short of extraordinary. In Nick Rowland, I found the kind of like-minded friend and collaborator that comes along once or twice in a lifetime.”

Director Nick Rowland added, “Working on She Rides Shotgun was about honoring Jordan Harper’s brutal, beautiful novel while finding a cinematic language that could carry both its savagery and its soul. The film is about two people—strangers, really—who find a way to become a real family in the most brutal of circumstances. What moved me most was the emotional survival in it. There’s tenderness in the trauma. That’s what I wanted to explore—how love can grow even in the darkest places. Taron Egerton brought such depth and volatility to Nate, and Ana Sofia Heger blew us away with her heart and fearlessness as Polly. I’m incredibly proud of what we created together—it’s a ride, and it doesn’t let go.”

“It’s rare to find a film where an already acclaimed actor does something so extraordinary that you take notice, but with She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton’s harmonic collaboration with young actress Ana Sophia Heger permeates every scene of this dramatic thrill ride,” said Lauren Bixby, EVP at Lionsgate. “Director Nick Rowland created what is not only a captivating experience, but also one that will leave the audience changed from when they entered. Lionsgate could not pass up the opportunity to be a part of this journey.”

Source: MovieWeb