Patrick Schwarzenegger and Leslie Grace to Star in Crime Thriller The Journeyman
Patrick Schwarzenegger will star as a struggling tennis player drawn into match-fixing in the upcoming crime thriller The Journeyman.
The project, which begins filming in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 30, marks the actor’s first lead role, according to Deadline.
“This is my first time home in six months,” Schwarzenegger said, noting that he is preparing to depart for Puerto Rico in three weeks for a six-month shoot. The actor, currently 33, told Variety that the character he portrays is at his wits’ end with his career when he is approached about fixing matches.
Production and Financing
AGC Studios is fully financing and producing the project. The film’s development has spanned several years; Deadline reported that the project previously had Dev Patel attached to star with Tarsem Singh directing before the current production team finalized its roster.
Ángel Manuel Soto is directing the film from a script penned by Bryan and Alexis Roberts, with revisions by Bill Dubuque. The production features a team of producers including Stuart Ford, Bryan Haas, Mason Eways, and Scott Franklin.
AGC International is representing the film’s international rights and will continue sales efforts at the American Film Market, while co-repping domestic sales with UTA and WME. Additional executive producers include Miguel A. Palos Jr. and Anant Tamirisa, with The Pimienta Film Company providing local production services in San Juan.
Creative and Production Teams Maintain Various Agency Representation
The film’s creative and production teams maintain a wide array of agency representation. Ángel Manuel Soto is repped by WME and Redefine Entertainment, while Patrick Schwarzenegger is represented by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Goodman, Genow. Leslie Grace is repped by CAA and 641 Meridian, and screenwriters Bryan and Alexis Roberts are repped by Gersh Agency and LBI Entertainment. Anant Tamirisa is representing AGC Studios.
Schwarzenegger’s recent schedule has been packed with several projects, including Mike Birbiglia’s Focus Features comedy Old Friends New Friends, Yulin Kuang’s Beach Read, and S. Craig Zahler’s The Bookie & the Bruiser. He is also set to appear in Florian Zeller’s Bunker alongside Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, which receives an award-qualifying run in December.
Athletic Preparation
Schwarzenegger has been training with a professional tennis player for two months to prepare for the role. He described the process as a shift from his traditional weight training regimen, aiming instead for a leaner, more athletic build consistent with a professional tennis player’s physique.
The actor’s career trajectory has shifted toward more prestigious projects in recent years. After a decade of work he described as disappointing, he secured roles in 2022’s The Staircase and 2024’s American Sports Story. “The Staircase allowed me to be seen a bit more seriously,” Schwarzenegger told Variety.
Industry Context
The casting process focused on finding an actor who could project the image of a professional athlete. “You need that in a movie where somebody’s making a deal with the devil,” said AGC’s head of film Zach Garrett, noting they sought someone audiences would naturally root for.
Leslie Grace will co-star as the protagonist’s fiancée. Following the completion of this project, Schwarzenegger is slated to return to television for an installment of Hulu’s Good American Family anthology, where he will portray John Wayne Bobbitt.
Regarding his future creative aspirations, the actor noted, “I’ve been writing a show with an incredible director that we’re in the midst of selling right now, a comedic drama in the tone of ‘The Bear.’”
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