Deadline exclusive: Oscar Award-winning actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator) and Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth are set to lead the action-thriller film, Land of Bad.

Crowe will play Reaper, an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the South Philippines. After the mission goes terribly wrong, he has 48 hours to navigate a high-stakes wild rescue operation. Hemsworth will play the naive air controller who is thrust in the middle of the operation with no weapons and no communication, other than the drone above.

Written by David Frigerio and Will Eubank (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) and directed by Eubank, the film is due to start principal photography in September in Australia. Eubank most recently directed Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin for Paramount Pictures. 20th Century Studios released his previous film, claustrophobic horror Underwater starring Kristen Stewart.

“Will and David have crafted a tense and compelling story full of suspense and intrigue. With Will at the helm, we are thrilled to be working with this uniquely talented filmmaker,” added Highland COO Delphine Perrier.

“I am thrilled to work with Russell and Liam and couldn’t be more grateful to this whole team in helping bring this project to life,” commented director Will Eubank.

“I couldn’t be more stoked to be making this timely film especially with my good friend Will Eubank piloting the ship. I am beyond excited to watch Russell and Liam bring these characters to life. Buckle up!” added writer-producer David Frigerio.

Crowe is currently in post-production of his second directorial film, Poker Face, a crime thriller which he also stars alongside Hemsworth. He will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder this summer, and Netflix’s The Greatest Beer Run Ever.

Hemsworth is currently filming Lonely Planet, co-starring Laura Dern.