Til Schweiger & Charlie Gillespie Join Cast of Underground Chess Thriller Contra
LOS ANGELES,โฃ CA – Til Schweigerโฃ and Charlie Gillespie โฃhave joined the cast of Contra, anโฃ upcoming action thriller centered on the high-stakes world ofโค competitive chess.They will star alongside Kal Penn, Booboo Stewart, and Nicoleโ Elizabeth Berger in the directorial debut โof Emmy-nominated producer Artisha Mann-Cooper.
contra follows a young chess prodigy, played by Stewart, โคwho becomes entangled in a risky underground chess circuit where each move has โlife-or-death consequences. Schweigerโ will portray “The โwizard,” a reclusive mentor and adversary toโ the prodigy, guiding him throughโ a psychological battleground. โGillespie will play the prodigy’s loyal โfriend,โ whose friendshipโค is โขtested โas the competition escalates.
schweiger’s previous work includes producing andโ directing films such as Knockin’ on Heaven’s โขdoor and Head Full of Honey, as โฃwell as roles โin Atomic Blonde, King arthur, Inglourious Basterds, andโค guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Gillespie recently starred in Splitsville, which premiered at Cannes, and โhas theโ upcoming film Shattered โIce.
The screenplay โคfor Contra is writtenโ by โขchess specialists โฃJerry Stokes and ahyende Sandy, with additional writing by Garrett Ratcliff and Luke Genton. Newcomers Nina Tang and โd’Arquoia Connor are also featured โin the โคensemble cast and will co-produce.
“Til is aโ powerhouse.He brings an intensity โand sophistication that perfectly embodies this world. โคHis presence elevates every scene, he’s the โฃkind โฃof actor who makes everyone around him better,” Mann-Cooper stated.
Producers on Contra include Sasha Yelaun,Jeremy O’Keefe,Burns Burns,Damon H.โข Chung, โฃNick Theurer, Kevin Weisberg, andโ Ryanโฃ Martin. Executive producers areโฃ Jonathan J. Cooper, Fon โPaing, Ego Mikitas, Alexโ Wice, Tara Lucia Prades, and โGalen Christy. Rebel Raider Media is handling โinternational sales.
Schweiger is represented by Independentโข Artist Group and Luminary Partners. Gillespie is repped by Vanderwerff Talent, David Dean Management, and Emily Downs at Meyers Downs.