Paramount to Produce Timothée Chalamet's High Octane Motocross Heist Film 'High Side'

Summary

• Timothée Chalamet and director James Mangold are collaborating on a new motocross heist film
• The film, High Side, marks Chalamet’s first major action-heavy role
• Chalamet plays a former motocross racer who begins robbing banks on superbikes

In one of the hottest deals of the season, Paramount Pictures has secured the rights to High Side, a new action thriller that will reunite actor Timothée Chalamet with acclaimed director James Mangold. The film, described as “Heat meets Hell or High Water,” marks a dramatic genre shift for the duo following their Oscar-nominated collaboration on the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown.

The film is based on an unpublished short story by Jaime Oliveira and will star Chalamet as Billy, a former motocross racer haunted by a career-ending crash and a troubled family history. He’s drawn back into a world of high-speed risks when his estranged brother recruits him for a series of bank robberies on superbikes. With the FBI hot on their heels, Billy is forced to use his talents for something far more dangerous than he ever imagined. Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, co-chairs of Paramount Pictures said in a statement, “We’re thrilled to be in business with visionary artists like James and Timothée, and exceptional collaborators like Peter and David at Chernin. What Jaime has created reflects the kind of bold, original storytelling we’re committed to championing at Paramount – and we couldn’t be more excited to hit the ground running with High Side.”

This project is a perfect storm of talent. Mangold, with his proven track record for crafting emotionally resonant action in films like Ford v Ferrari and Logan, is an ideal choice to helm this story. For Chalamet, this represents a bold new chapter, as it will be his first major full-fledged action role. The film is currently in pre-production, with more casting announcements expected soon.