Riz Ahmed and Lily James are to star in the thriller 'Relay'.

Riz Ahmed will star with Lily James in 'Relay'

Riz Ahmed will star with Lily James in 'Relay'

David Mackenzie is directing the movie and will produce with Basil Iwanyk, Gillian Berrie and Teddy Schwarzman.

'Relay' will star Ahmed as Tom, a world-class "fixer" who specialises in brokering lucrative deals between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin.

He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and follows an exacting set of rules. However, when a message arrives from potential client Sarah (James) who needs Tom's protection to stay alive – the guidelines quickly start to change.

Mackenzie has written the script with Justin Piasecki and filming is due to start in New York and New Jersey in April.

Executive producers include Michael Heimler, John Friedberg, Erica Lee and Charlie Morrison.

Black Bear International is launching the project at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Riz previously criticised the "shocking" lack of diversity on TV and called for better representation of Muslims on screen.

The Oscar-winning star feels that Muslim representation is a "blind spot" that ultimately "costs lives".

The 40-year-old star said: "It's not surprising, but it is shocking. It's a blind spot that's all over our culture. And it costs lives. Countries get invaded, hate crimes go up, laws get passed. So off the back of that we're thinking, 'What do we need to shift?' And, actually, it's about empowering people to tell their own story."


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