Orlando Bloom Joins Ethan Hawke, Zaya Guarani in Jungle Thriller ‘The Last of the Tribe’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Orlando Bloom is joining Ethan Hawke in “The Last of the Tribe,” a jungle thriller based on a non-fiction book by award-winning investigative journalist Monte Reel.
The film, which is directed by Claudio Borrelli (“Vultures”), features previously announced Brazilian actress and environmental activist Zaya Guarani. Mark Bailey, an Emmy-nominee who wrote “Downfall” and “The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari,” penned the screenplay.
The film is set in the Amazon rainforest and follows William Phelan (Hawke), a washed-out Chicago cop turned corporate gun-for-hire, who is sent to investigate a death. During his mission he encounters the last surviving member of an Indigenous tribe. Protagonist Pictures is launching sales ahead of EFM.
“I’m drawn to films that slam the raw, the rugged and the cruel head-on into the beautiful and the divine,” said Borrelli. “In this story, the rainforest is both the villain and the savior — that natural and forever conflict is the essence of what I want to capture in The Last of the Tribe.”
Bloom starred in “The Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchises. He recently appeared in the boxing drama “The Cut” and the action-thriller “Red Right Hand” opposite Andie MacDowell. He also appeared in the Amazon Prime action-comedy “Deep Cover” co-starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Nick Mohammed. Bloom will next be seen in Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard.”
Hawke was just nominated for an Oscar for his leading role in “ Blue Moon,” and headlined the critically acclaimed FX series ”The Lowdown,” which was picked up for a second season. He also recently starred in “The Weight,” a thriller that earned strong reviews out of Sundance.
Guarani is an Indigenous Brazilian activist, model, actress, and speaker from the Guarani Mbya ethnicities, born and raised in the Amazon rainforest. She has also appeared in Darren Aronofsky’s sci-fi documentary, “Postcards From Earth.”
Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso, whose work on “Train Dreams” recently earned an Academy Award nomination, along with ASC and BAFTA nominations and a Critics Choice Award, will serve as director of photography. The film is produced by Academy Award winner Edward Saxon (“Silence of the Lambs”), alongside Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz for Chockstone Pictures (“All the Old Knives”), Mark Bailey, and Ethan and Ryan Hawke (“The Weight”). Fernando Meirelles (The Two Popes, City of God) serves as executive producer, with his São Paulo-based O2 Filmes producing in Brazil.
“’The Last of the Tribe’ is an intense, propulsive thriller with real moral weight at its core,” said Dave Bishop, CEO Protagonist Pictures, in a statement. “Set deep in the Brazilian Amazon, the project pairs elevated genre storytelling with urgent contemporary themes. Claudio has crafted a bold vision, and with Ethan Hawke, Orlando Bloom and Zaya Guarani leading the cast, we’re excited to introduce this standout project to buyers at EFM.”
“’The Last of the Tribe’ is a tense, gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller, a real old-school heart pounding ride. And yet, it is also about something that could not be more timely – the destruction of the rainforest and the people who call it home. Our fantastic cast, spearheaded by the extraordinary Ethan Hawke, and now joined by Bloom, are all so smart, and passionate, and talented and committed to the telling of this story. We are thrilled,” added the producers in a joint statement.
Hawke is repped by CAA and MGMT Entertainment; Bloom is repped by WME, Untitled, and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan; Guarani is repped by Carl Navarro of Spotlight Media.
