‘Fountain Of Youth’ By Guy Ritchie.
Apple Original Films have picked up Guy Ritchie’s new movie from Skydance Media titled “Fountain Of Youth”. John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) and Natalie Portman (Black Swan) are set to star. Skydance Media will serve as the studio, and the film will be produced for Apple by Skydance, Vinson Films and Project X Entertainment. James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) will write the script.
The story follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortiality.
With John Krasinski and Natalie Portman set as leads, more cast was eventually announced, In January, Domhall Gleeson (Ex Machina) and Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver) joined the cast. In February, Laz Alonso (Severance) was cast, while in March, Arian Moayed (Succession) and Carmen Ejogo were announced to joined.
It was announced in March 2023, that Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) was set to direct the film, with a screenplay by Vanderbilt. But Fletcher departed the project in January 2024, and Guy Ritchie eventually took over.
Filming began in Bangkok in February 2024, followed by Vienna in March, and Liverpool in May.
Fountain of Youth has been a high priority for Skydance after getting a script from Vanderbilt that sources said “blew execs away”, but the studio needed the right package of talent before it moved forward with the film. Ritchie, who has been as busy as any director in town, had been eyeing the project, with Krasinski also circling it around the same time, but the dual strikes forced things to be put on pause. once the strikes were settled, both gave their commitments, and the delay also opened the door for Portman to land the other lead with her schedule opening up. the plan was to shoot it in the first quarter of this year.
The English-born Ritchie initially built his career in the British crime-comedy genre, from classics like “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”, he amassed a fanbase that would follow him anywhere he went. Ritchie eventually got big paychecks from making big studio films like “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”, “Aladdin” and two “Sherlock Holmes” films, which were also acclaimed and allowed him to make his passion projects like “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” and his surprise Jason Statham pic “Wrath of Man” which featured some of his best direction and action. Last year Ritchie released an Afghan war thriller “The Covenant” which was fairly praised. He also released “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” earlier this year. Ritchie already shot another untitled heist thriller reuniting him with Jake Gyllenhall, Eiza Gonzalez and Henry Cavill.
“Fountain of Youth” is hailing from the Apple and Skydance first-look partnership, and they have a strong slate ahead with some high-profile titles including the genre-bending action film “The Gorge” starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, and the recently announced action-adventure film “Mayday”, with Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh set to star.
