Fast Charlie: James Caan’s final film starring Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin lands a U.S. release

Vertical is springing into action by snagging the U.S. distribution rights for Fast Charlie, the final film starring the late James Caan. Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin lead the cast, with the film making its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7. Fast Charlie takes inspiration from Victor Gischler’s 2001 novel Gun Monkeys. 

Here’s a synopsis for Gischler’s novel via Amazon:

Charlie Swift is an old school kind of guy. Runs a tight ship. Respects his boss. Takes care of his mom and kid brother. And, he’s a stone cold killer. When a fancy new-wave hood, hungry for the primo Orlando territory Charlie enforces, offs most of Charlie’s boys in a bloody mob takeover, our man steps in to make things right. But when word gets out that his boss has gone missing and there’s a traitor among his crew of gun monkeys, Charlie knows payback ain’t gonna be easy. Shot up, boozed up, and beaten up, Charlie finds the toughest challenge he’s ever had to face isn’t snuffing out life, but preserving it.

In Fast Charlie, the fixer encounters a problem. The target he’s killed is missing their head, which makes getting paid for the job difficult. Charlie needs to prove the body of his target is legit to the person who ordered the hit, Beggar Mercado (The Wire’s Gbenga Akinnagbe). To do this, Charlie enlists the help of Marcie Kramer (Baccarin), the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with a backbone and a specific set of valuable skills. Pulling Marcie back into a past she intends to leave behind, the mission sends the duo on an unhinged journey as they fight to protect the legacy of Charlie’s best friend and mentor, Stan Mullen (Caan) while bringing down Beggar and his entire operation. (via Deadline)

Phillip Noyce (Salt) directs from a script by Richard Wenk (Equalizer franchise), with Toby Huss (Copshop) and Sharon Gless (Burn Notice) also leading the cast.

“Richard Wenk’s adaptation of Victor Gischler’s thriller novel, ‘Gun Monkeys,’ coupled with Phillip Noyce’s keen direction, brings us into a fast-paced world where loyalty, commitment, and doing what’s right still matter,” said producer Daniel Grodnik. “The relationship between Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin is as surprising for them as it is for the audience which makes for a lot of fun.”

What do you think about the premise for Fast Charlie? Have you read Gischler’s novel? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.