Netflix Hops Into the Female Action Thriller Game with ‘Close’

By Stewart Clarke, Variety
Published March 8, 2018, 1:21 p.m. ET

Netflix has marked World Women’s Day with the pickup of Close, a female-led, adrenaline-charged action-thriller starring Noomi Rapace. The streamer has sealed a multi-territory deal for the film that includes the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

Netflix picked up Close from WestEnd Films, which had it under the banner of its female-skewed WeLove brand, which is aimed at developing and producing female-specific content and promoting female talent.

Inspired by the life of bodyguard Jacquie Davis, the film stars Swedish actress Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) in the lead role. Sophie Nelisse (The Book Thief), Eoin Macken (Resident Evil: The Final Chapter), and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) also star.

Davis built a formidable career in the male-dominated world of professional bodyguards. She was a consultant on the film and helped visualize and develop the action sequences.

In the movie, which was shot in Morocco and the U.K., bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert Sam (Rapace) takes a job protecting Zoe (Nelisse), a rich young heiress. Neither party is keen on the arrangement, but when a violent kidnap attempt goes wrong, the pair are forced to work together and go on the run. Together they need to unravel who was behind the kidnap and hunt them down.

The script was written by Britain’s Vicky Jewson and her regular collaborator, Rupert Whitaker. Jewson directed. Whitaker, Jewson, and Jason Newmark (Alien Outpost) produced.

“It was a privilege to make Close with Noomi and Sophie. It felt unique to explore a strong female relationship prevailing against extraordinary odds,” Jewson said. “Working closely with Jacquie allowed us to bring an authenticity to the action scenes, which was very important to me. Close has always been a story with heart and character at its core, and WestEnd and Netflix recognized this, and I am thrilled they are helping it achieve its vision.”