Hammer Down: Idris Elba to star in truck driver action thriller

My father was a truck driver, as was his father before him, so I have spent some time in “the trucker world” and have a soft spot for movies that involve truck drivers – so, yes, Smokey and the Bandit is one of my all-time-favorite and most-watched movies. This is why I’m hyped to hear that Idris Elba of Luther, Hobbs & Shaw, and The Suicide Squad, among many other credits, has signed on to play a truck driver in the upcoming high octane action thriller Hammer Down!

Simon Hatt, who has served as an associate producer, executive producer, and co-producer on various James Gunn projects, including The Suicide Squad, will be making his feature directorial debut with this film. Hatt has also written the screenplay for Hammer Down, which is based on his 2020 short film (it had a running time of 13 minutes) with the same title. The short version starred Chris Sullivan of This Is Us as the title character.

Aiming to be fun and fast paced, the feature version of Hatt’s idea will see Elba taking on the role of Mac, who is the best at what he does, driving a big rig truck across the country with a “no questions asked” policy about the goods he transports. When he takes his tenacious teenage daughter along for a job, they are tracked and attacked by a relentless group of criminals that will stop at nothing to secure the consignment he has been entrusted to deliver. Pursued by merciless killers and with the police hot on their trail, Mac and his daughter must work together to prevent the cargo falling into dangerous hands and survive to live another day. A press release says this role will allow Elba to “push his talents even further by embodying the role of heroic truck driver ‘Mac’ and showing the humanity of a father who will do anything to protect his family.“

Charles Roven and Madison Weireter are producing Hammer Down for Atlas Entertainment, while Idris Elba and Gina Carter do the same for 22Summers. Black Bear will be presenting the project to international buyers at the American Film Market next week.

The press release adds that “Hatt’s experience with Gunn was a masterclass in how to balance action, emotion and humor in a film and in Hammer Down, Hatt will showcase his own unique flair for the action genre.“

Does Hammer Down sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this truck driving Idris Elba action thriller by leaving a comment below.