By A newly released still offers the first look at Gerard Butler in Empire City, an action thriller centered on a high-stakes hostage crisis inside New York City’s fictional Clybourn Building.
Butler stars as Rhett, a firefighter forced into a rescue mission that quickly turns into a fight for survival. When the situation escalates, Rhett teams up with his firehouse squad and his wife Dani, an NYPD officer played by Hayley Atwell, recently seen in the latest Mission Impossible film.
The image shows Butler still in full firefighter gear, blood visible on his left arm, suggesting he is already injured as the crisis unfolds. While relying on his Navy SEAL background, Rhett must navigate the burning structure floor by floor to save those trapped inside.
Butler is no stranger to large-scale action, with past roles ranging from 300 to the Has Fallen franchise, as well as recent entries in the Den of Thieves and Greenland franchises.
The film’s antagonist, Hawkins, is played by Omari Hardwick, best known for Power, with Mel Jarnson portraying his trusted operative. Supporting cast members include Tre Hale, Michael Beach, Dominic Bogart, Stephen Murphy, and Jack DiFalco.
Directed by Michael Matthews and written by S. Craig Zahler and Brian Tucker, Empire City is currently in production in Melbourne, Australia. International sales are handled by The Veterans, with CAA Media Finance overseeing domestic rights ahead of the European Film Market in Berlin.
