'Barracuda' Grabs Anthony Mackie & Dafne Keen Set to Energize Neil Burger’s Action-Packed Thriller

Two Marvel actors will be starring together in action thriller “Barracuda.” If there is one thing Hollywood loves more than pairing up superhero actors in gritty, non-superhero movies, it is throwing those same actors into a desert with a vintage car. That is exactly what movie fans are getting with the upcoming action-thriller “Barracuda.” In addition, the film is already underway with production.

“Barracuda”Plot Breakdown: Blood, Bullets & a High-Speed Escape

Dafne Keen starring in Whistle — Dafne Keen in “Whistle (2025)” photo courtesy of IFC/Shudder – © Courtesy of IFC/Shudder

The official synopsis for “Barracuda” leans heavily into the pedal-to-the-metal storytelling we secretly, or not-so-secretly crave. Anthony Mackie and Dafne Keen will be teaming up to star in the action-thriller “Divergent,” “Limitless,” and “The Illusionist” filmmaker Neli Burger is the director for the movie.

Per Deadline, the official synopsis of the movie reads: “When Karl (Mackie), a former smuggler with a haunted past, storms a nightclub in Mexico to rescue Jodie (Keen), a kidnapped teenage girl, he ignites a chain reaction of blood and bullets that burns across 100 miles of deadly roads toward the U.S. border. The breakout turns into a high-speed race when Karl kills the brother of the ruthless club owner and steals his prized 1973 Plymouth Barracuda. Now hunted by relentless criminals, Karl and Jodie tear across the desert with no way to slow down.”

What to Know About The Movie

Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier and Henry Winterstern for Highland Film Group; Jack Rapke and Arron Rapke for Image Movers; Kia Jam for K. Jam Media; Todd Lundbohm for 828 Productions Peter Jákl for R.U. Robot Studios; and Joe Di Maio are all working as producers for the upcoming “Barracuda” film. The executive producers are Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis, Image Movers’ Isaac Lilly, and Blue Rider Pictures’ Walter Josten.

Executive producers also include Wonder Street’s Mark Holder and Christine Holder, Bryan Coyne, and Kyle Fox. Highland Film Group is taking care of worldwide rights and collaborating domestic with UTA Independent Film Group. Principal photography for the movie began in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Joining Mackie and Keen in the cast are Steven Bauer, known for his work on “Ray Donovan,” and Anthony Del Negro from “Running Point.”

With Burger at the helm, there is a lot of anticipation regarding how this film will look. The director himself noted that, much like his work on “Limitless” and “The Illusionist,” he is currently inventing entirely new visual techniques specifically to make this movie a truly wild ride. Burger expressed his sheer excitement for the project, stating that he had been looking to make a non-stop action thriller and finally found it with this fantastic screenplay.

Burger Describes The Film

Per Moviefone, Burger said, “This one never lets up,” describing the movie as out-of-control, relentless mayhem unfolding in a real-time sprint to the border. Let’s be honest, putting two powerhouses from the comic book movie realm into a gritty chase film is a recipe for success, and the sheer human emotion and adrenaline teased for this project already has us hooked. For those keeping track of the Hollywood paperwork, Mackie is represented by UTA and Inspire Entertainment.

Keen is represented by Independent Talent Group, UTA, and Goodman, Genow. Bauer’s representation includes GVA Talent Agency and Zero Gravity Management. On the creative side, Burger is represented by Range Media Partners and Goodman, Genow, while writers Mason and Boyes are repped by Entertainment 360 and Hansen, Jacobson. If “Barracuda” can deliver on even half of the unhinged, real-time chaos it is promising, we are all in for a fantastic time at the movies.