The name has had to change very subtly – apparently James Gunn and his team couldn’t clear the name “Belco”, but things are proceeding apace with new horror thriller The Belko Experiment. Gunn hit Facebook to announce that John Gallagher Jr. has joined the film.
Based on a script that bubbled up in Gunn's brain a few years ago,** The Belko Experiment** has Wolf Creek**’s Greg McLean on board to direct as Gunn acts as producer and continues development on his Guardians Of The Galaxy sequel.
The plot follows is set around a facility of the Belco company in South America which is mysteriously sealed off at the beginning of a work day, and its employees ordered to either kill each other or be killed themselves. This starts an escalation of violence, where we discover the true nature of each and every Belco employee. Gallagher Jr., probably best known from Short Term 12 or The Newsroom, will be Mike Pelk, one of the main characters.
In his post about the casting, Gunn mentions the fact that he auditioned the actor for another project, and while Gallagher Jr. wasn’t right for that role, he stuck in Gunn’s mind and left the director determined to work with him. Even, as in this case, as a producer.
According to Gunn, there has already been a table read for the film with Gallagher Jr. and other actors, so expect more casting announcements soon. McLean will start shooting next month in Bogota.