Lionsgate sticks up for 'Last Stand' spec

Lionsgate has pre-emptively picked up the action thriller spec "Last Stand" from writer Andrew Knauer. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is producing.

The story, described as having shades of "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "High Noon," features a Gumpert Apollo, a race car used by drug smugglers, and it centers on a cartel leader that uses it to break out of a courthouse. As he speeds to the Mexican border, the only thing standing in his way is a border-town sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

Mike Paseornek, John Sacchi and Hernany Perla are overseeing for Lionsgate. Erik Howsam and Ed Fee are shepherding for Di Bonaventura Pictures.

Di Bonaventura is in preproduction on Summit's comic book adaptation "Red," starring Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, which is prepping for a winter start.

Knauer is a former assistant at Media Talent Group and before that interned at Lionsgate. In a move that is sure to fuel many a writing fantasy, he quit his job to write full-time, with "Stand" the resulting screenplay.

He is repped by WME and Energy Entertainment.