WESTBROOK STUDIOS BOARD AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS WITH HIGHLAND FILM GROUP HANDLING INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS – PRODUCTION UNDERWAY IN AUSTRALIA
Tom Hopper (The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, The Umbrella Academy, Game of Thrones) is set to star alongside Jessica Alba in the upcoming spy thriller THE MARK.
Directed by Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Other Boleyn Girl) and written by Ronnie Christensen (Passengers, Incarnate), THE MARK is produced by Jessica Alba under her Lady Metalmark Entertainment umbrella, Arianne Fraser (Land of Bad), Delphine Perrier (Arcadian) and Henry Winterstern (the Underworld franchise) for Highland Film Group, Kia Jam (The Misfits, Lucky Number Slevin) for K. Jam Media, alongside Kosaku Yada for Westbrook Studios (Bad Boys: Ride or Die, King Richard), Tracey Vieira (Land of Bad) for Hoodlum and Peter Jákl (Locked). Will Smith and Miguel Melendez executive produce on behalf of Westbrook Studios, alongside Tracey Nyberg for Lady Metalmark Entertainment, Justin Chadwick, Ceasar Richbow (Protector), Latavius Powell (The Florist), Jason Hope (Ashley), Tracey Robertson (Land of Bad) and Nathan Mayfield (Land of Bad) for Hoodlum, and Jeff Kranzdorf (The Courier), Gevork Semeriyan and Abraham Kesablyan for Falcon Films.
THE MARK follows Eden (Jessica Alba), an enigmatic spy on a covert and dangerous mission. When she pulls single father Ben Dawson (Tom Hopper) into her world of high-stakes espionage, his life is turned upside down. Mistaken for the world’s deadliest assassin, Ben becomes the perfect decoy for Eden. She uses the mix-up to expose a powerful network of corrupt politicians, placing Ben in the crosshairs of the CIA, Interpol and ruthless crime syndicates. With enemies closing in from all sides, Eden must keep Ben alive long enough to complete her mission – while Ben must summon his inner action hero to stay alive and return to the person who matters most: his daughter.
Highland Film Group is handling international rights and co-financing the project alongside Aperture Media Partners, with production underway in Queensland, Australia.
The film is supported by the Australian Government through the Location Offset, the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, and the Local Government through the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.
“Tom Hopper is an exceptionally talented actor who embodies the qualities to become one of the next great action stars – he is the perfect partner to play opposite the brilliant Jessica Alba as they dive into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. They will bring sharp banter and chemistry in this high-stakes espionage thriller loaded with non-stop action and cinematic scale,” said Highland CEO Arianne Fraser. “Director Justin Chadwick brings striking visual complexity to the story and we are delighted to team up again with him alongside our producing partner Kia Jam on this sexy, sophisticated ride – it’s the perfect blend of bold storytelling and unexpected twists,” added Highland COO Delphine Perrier.
“Tom Hopper joining Jessica Alba creates a powerful duo that elevates THE MARK’s global blockbuster potential,” said producer Kia Jam. “With their undeniable combined star power and Will Smith executive producing, the film’s international appeal reaches a whole new level.”
“Westbrook Inc. is proud to come on board as producers of THE MARK, a high-stakes thriller in collaboration with Highland Film Group and K. Jam Media. We are honored to work with Jessica Alba and Tom Hopper, whose exceptional talent will bring dynamic energy to the screen,” said Westbrook Inc. CEO Kosaku Yada.
“Screen Queensland looks forward to welcoming Highland Film Group back to Queensland, along with K. Jam Media and Westbrook Studios, and Brisbane’s own Hoodlum – with the Gold Coast as the setting for this exciting new thriller,” said Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney. “We are pleased to continue this successful partnership, which is now putting Queensland on the map with a global audience, and we know that the film will benefit from the expertise of our skilled local crew and stunning locations.”
Hopper is represented by Gersh, Range Media Partners, Waring McKenna, 2pm Sharp, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Alba is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Chadwick is repped by Independent Talent Group and UTA.
ABOUT TOM HOPPER:
Tom Hopper is known for his role in the acclaimed Netflix series The Umbrella Academy opposite Elliot Page and Aidan Gallagher. He was recently seen starring with Taylor Kitsch and Chris Pratt in Amazon’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, a prequel series to The Terminal List. His film credits include Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, SAS: Red Notice opposite Sam Heughan, the romantic comedy I Feel Pretty with Amy Schumer and Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City.
Television credits include HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Starz’s Black Sails from Michael Bay and Brad Fuller, and the cult favourite BBC1 series Merlin. Additional credits include the Amazon Original feature Space Cadet opposite Emma Roberts and Netflix’s hit Love In The Villa alongside Kat Graham.
ABOUT JESSICA ALBA:
Jessica Alba is a Golden Globe–nominated actress, New York Times bestselling author, and powerhouse entrepreneur. She has headlined more than 25 films and hit series across comedy, drama, and action, and continues to redefine herself as a leading producer and storyteller. In 2024, she launched Lady Metalmark Entertainment, focused on bold, female-driven, and culturally rich storytelling. Her upcoming projects include Fox’s one-hour mystery drama Wine & Spirits (Executive Producer) and an R-rated Netflix ensemble comedy, which she’ll star in and produce with Tracey Nyberg.
Alba’s producing slate follows major wins: Netflix’s Trigger Warning, which she starred in and produced, debuted at #1 in 67 countries with 91M+ global views, and Roku’s hit series Honest Renovations, returning for a fourth season in 2026. On the big screen, she stars opposite Anthony Hopkins, Andy Garcia, and Al Pacino in Oscar-winner Bobby Moresco’s Maserati: The Brothers, and will lead and produce the action thriller The Mark.
Through Lady Metalmark, Alba is cementing her reputation as a creative force, championing diverse voices and delivering globally resonant entertainment.
ABOUT HIGHLAND FILM GROUP:
Led by founding partners Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier and Henry Winterstern, Highland Film Group (HFG) is an award-winning global studio with end-to-end capabilities, driving films from development to release. HFG operates as a producer, financier, distributor and sales agent, with an in-house team that oversees global productions and acquisitions. Launched in 2010, HFG delivers standout films across a wide range of genres and platforms, building a reputation for producing high-octane films in the action, thriller and horror space.
Highland Film Group’s current slate also includes Brad Anderson’s psychological thriller Moral Capacity starring Dacre Montgomery, Diane Lane, Sofia Boutella and Tim Robbins; the espionage action thriller Stratagem starring Noomi Rapace and Teo Yoo; Martin Campbell‘s thriller Just Play Dead starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green; the action crime thriller Wardriver starring Dane DeHaan and Sasha Calle; Adrian Grunberg’s action-thriller Protector starring Milla Jovovich; and the action crime thriller The Deputy starring Duke Nicholson, William H. Macy, Tiffany Haddish and Stephen Dorff.
ABOUT K. JAM MEDIA:
Kia Jam is the founder and President of K. Jam Media. Kia has participated in over $2 billion globally in entertainment transactions and has independently produced and/or financed more than 30 motion pictures over the past 25 years. His most recent films, Killer’s Game, starring Dave Bautista and Sir Ben Kingsley, and Strangers: Chapter 2, were released by Lionsgate. His prior credits include The Misfits, Lucky Number Slevin and The Postcard Killings. Upcoming projects include Easy’s Waltz with Al Pacino, The Strangers: Chapter 3 and The Day the Clown Cried.
ABOUT WESTBROOK STUDIOS:
Launched in 2019 by founders Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada, Westbrook is focused on empowering artists to tell stories that connect the world. In film, Westbrook most recently released Bad Boys 4: Ride Or Die (Sony), which grossed over $400 million at the global box office.
Upcoming film projects include Netflix’s Fast & Loose with David Leitch’s 87North, Warner Bros’ I Am Legend 2 starring Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan, Listen starring Noah Centineo, Amazon/MGM’s Night Of The Living Dead sequel written by LaToya Morgan and to be directed by Nikyatu Jusu, and Amazon/MGM’s Clean Air with NASCAR and The Chainsmokers.
In TV, Westbrook is producing the fourth season of the NAACP Image Award-winning Bel-Air (Peacock) and the travel adventure series “Pole to Pole” (National Geographic and Disney+). Westbrook is also behind the eight-time Emmy and SAG Award–nominated series “Cobra Kai” (Netflix), the three-time Daytime Emmy–winning series “African Queens: Njinga” (Netflix), and the travel adventure series “Welcome to Earth” (Disney +).
ABOUT HOODLUM:
Hoodlum is an Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning production company founded in 1999 by Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield and operating between Australia, the US and the UK. Joined by Tracey Vieira in 2019, the company’s global slate runs across scripted and unscripted television and feature film with projects in development and production with BBC Studios, Netflix, CBS International and more.
Hoodlum’s most recent productions include the drama series “Two Years Later” for Paramount+, the action-thriller Land Of Bad, starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, and the drama series “In Our Blood” for the ABC.
Hoodlum also recently produced the romantic comedy feature films Christmas On The Farm, which premiered on Stan, and A Perfect Pairing for Netflix, which hit number 1 globally. The fourth season of “Five Bedrooms” also recently premiered on Paramount+ in Australia and Peacock in the US.
Photo: Jessica Alba by Nino Munoz
