Richard Gere and Michelle Rodriguez Commence Filming Airplane Thriller ‘Left Seat’
Production is underway in Munich, Germany, for the contained thriller Left Seat, starring Richard Gere and Michelle Rodriguez. The film, initially unveiled at Cannes last year, commenced filming this week at Bavaria Studios, utilizing a Volume stage for its production. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
Plot Summary
In Left Seat, Michelle Rodriguez portrays a pharmaceutical representative who finds herself in a desperate situation when the pilot of a small charter plane she’s traveling on becomes incapacitated. She is forced to take control of the aircraft and, relying on guidance from a man (Richard Gere) communicating via radio, must navigate a dangerous storm and attempt a safe landing before the plane runs out of fuel. James Weber Brown also has a role in the film.
Production Details
The film is being directed by Ben Younger, known for his work on the boxing drama Bleed for This. Younger, a pilot himself, brings his aviation expertise to the project. The screenplay is by David M. Crabtree, who initially wrote it in 2017 and subsequently developed it with Jason Michael Berman, a former USC classmate. Yahoo Entertainment details the production’s progression.
Aerial exterior shots were filmed in the Andes Mountains in South America in January. The production team describes the film as similar in tone to 2013’s Locke, starring Tom Hardy, which focused on a single character facing a critical life event. This suggests Left Seat will be a character-driven thriller with Rodriguez largely carrying the narrative.
Key Personnel and Companies
Jason Michael Berman is producing the film through his A/Vantage Pictures banner, alongside Ben Younger, David M. Crabtree, Maximilian Leo and Jonas Katzenstein. Executive producers include Matthew Lindner, Peter Guber, Jordan Moldo, Mike Downing, Daniel Sonnabend, Andrea Kuehnel, and Joshua S. Siegel. IMDb lists the full production team.
The project involves Mandalay Pictures and augenschein Filmproduktion, with the latter providing financing. Additional support comes from Juniper Productions and StoneCastle Pictures, as well as FFF Bayern and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF). Anton is handling international sales, while WME Independent is managing North American sales.
Recent Work
Richard Gere is currently appearing in Paramount+’s The Agency: Central Intelligence, while Michelle Rodriguez recently reprised her role as Letty in Fast X and is expected to return for the upcoming Fast Forever. Female First provides further details on the actors’ recent projects.