Sullivan Stapleton (300: Rise of an Empire) has been cast in The Lake, the latest project from Luc Besson’s (Lucy) EuropaCorp production company, according to Deadline. Stapleton will play the head of a group of Navy SEALs on a mission to uncover a hidden treasure buried beneath a lake in war-torn Serbia. Besson will produce the film, which he co-wrote with Richard Wenk (The Equalizer). Steven Quale (Into the Storm) will direct.
Lucy, the most recent entry from Besson’s production company cemented Scarlett Johansson as an action star that helped her resume enough to get her the lead in the live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell. The company did the same for Liam Neeson with the Taken franchise. Stapleton will be looking for The Lake to give his reputation a similar boost. EuropaCorp’s next movie will be the fourth entry in The Transporter series, The Transporter Legacy.
Stapleton hasn’t had a high-profile role since the 300 sequel, though he recently finished his work as Sgt. Damien Scott on the Cinemax show Strike Back. The Aussie first drew notice in 2010 for his work in the Australian crime movie Animal Kingdom. In addition to this new role in The Lake, Stapleton also stars with Simon Pegg in Kill Me Three Times, which will be released in the U.S. next month. It seems that 2015 could be a make-it-or-break-it year for Stapleton.