Vertical Acquires U.S. Rights to Jonathan Hensleigh’s Action Thriller ‘Ice Road: Vengeance’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Vertical has acquired U.S. rights to Jonathan Hensleigh’s action thriller “Ice Road: Vengeance.” Starring Liam Neeson (“The Naked Gun,” “Taken”), Fan Bingbing (“The 355,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) and Marcus Thomas (“The Ice Road,” “Kill the Irishman”), the sequel to 2021’s “The Ice Road” is set for release in select theaters on June 27 and on demand on July 1.

Hensleigh, the writer of “Die Hard with a Vengeance” (1995) and co-writer of “Armageddon” (1998), has returned to direct the sequel from his own script, which follows big rig ice road driver Mike McCann (Liam Neeson) as he travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. While on a packed tour bus traversing the deadly 12,000 ft. terrain of the infamous Road to the Sky, McCann and his mountain guide (Fan Bingbing) encounter a group of Nepali mercenaries and must fight to save themselves, the busload of innocent travelers and the local villagers’ homeland. The film was previously known as “Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky.”

“Jonathan’s first ‘Ice Road’ movie was an explosive thriller and the sequel does not disappoint. Liam Neeson versus mercenaries on the road to Mt. Everest? What more could audiences want?” says Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey.

“I’m thrilled that so many people are going to get to see this movie that I love so much,” adds Hensleigh.

Code Entertainment and ShivHans Pictures fully financed the movie. Producers are Al Corley, Bart Rosenblatt, and Eugene Musso of Code Entertainment, along with Shivani Rawat and Julie Goldstein of ShivHans Pictures, and director Jonathan Hensleigh, as well as Lee Nelson and David Tish of Envision Media Arts.

Executive producers are Jonathan Dana, along with Connor Flanagan of ShivHans Pictures, Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel of The Solution Entertainment Group, and John Leonetti. David Buelow of EMA also executive produces.

Additional below-the-line talent includes director of photography Tom Stern (“American Sniper,” “The Hunger Games”), production designer Penelope Southgate (“Sleeping Dogs”), editor Luke Doolan (“Animal Kingdom”), and costume designer Katherine Milne (“Blacklight”), with casting by Stevie Ray (“Plum”) and music by Michael Yezerski (“The Deb”).

The deal was negotiated by Jarowey and SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi on behalf of Vertical and by CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. The Solution Entertainment Group handled international sales.

Neeson is represented by CAA, attorney Mark Stankevich and Bespoke Publicity. Hensleigh is represented by Oasis Media Group’s David Lonner. Bingbing is represented by Chris Prapha and David Unger at Artist International Group and Doug Stone at Glaser Weil.