Production has officially wrapped on Runaway, a new indie action thriller from director James C. Clayton. The film also reunites Clayton with IndustryWorks Studios for another collaboration.
The film is led by Josh Duhamel (Transformers franchise, Academy Award nominee James Franco (127 Hours, The Disaster Artist, Spider-Man trilogy), Paula Patton (Déjà Vu, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Precious), and Canadian actress Summer H. Howell (Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chucky, upcoming Carrie miniseries).
Joining her are Adam Beach (Dance Me Outside, Windtalkers) and Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep, The Pope’s Exorcist), rounding out a powerhouse cast.
plot
After the heartbreaking loss of his estranged daughter, veteran detective Lou Coleman (Josh Duhamel) retreats into the remote wilderness, hoping to leave his past behind. His quiet escape is shattered when he crosses paths with a teenage girl on the run (Summer H. Howell), who possesses evidence that could uncover a web of corruption gripping a small town. Determined to keep her safe, Lou becomes the hunted, pursued by a ruthless sheriff (James Franco) and his heavily armed militia. As the chase intensifies, every mile becomes a fight for survival, leading to a final confrontation where long-buried truths and justice collide.
Directed by James C. Clayton, Bullet Proof (2022) marked his directorial debut but failed to impress critics. He returned with the sequel Get Fast (2024), which he also directed and starred in, only to receive an even weaker critical response. Hopefully, his upcoming film will reverse that trend and become his best-directed project to date.
Led by Josh Duhamel, he is widely recognized for starring as Colonel William Lennox in the Transformers franchise, Danny McCoy on the NBC series Las Vegas, and headlining major rom-coms like Life as We Know It and Shotgun Wedding.
One of the biggest names in the cast is James Franco, best known for playing Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Most recently, he appeared in Hey Joe (2024), marking another step in his return to acting.
Off-screen, Franco also made headlines after ending a multi-year social media hiatus. On July 13, he sparked a wave of online speculation by sharing grainy black-and-white home security footage that appeared to show a mysterious humanoid “alien” wandering through his backyard. The eerie clip quickly went viral, sending fans into a frenzy and proving that Franco still knows how to capture the internet’s attention.
Movie penned by Jason Carroll, Marc Petey, Danny Mac, and Paul Birkett, with Jonnie Broi and Marc Petey producing for Play x Play Studios. Executive producers include Evan Tylor and Caterina Scrivano (IndustryWorks Studios), Keli Price (Price Productions), and Zach Steele, bringing heavyweight backing to the project.
