Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is set to lead the action-packed film The Surgeon, a new project being pitched as the first in a potential franchise at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film is directed and written by Rohsan Sethi, a physician-turned-filmmaker, and marks another collaboration between producer Basil Iwanyk and distributor Patrick Wachsberger, who previously teamed up on the John Wick franchise. The Surgeon follows Yeoh’s character, a retired surgeon who is kidnapped and forced to operate on a mysterious patient. Despite being outnumbered, her captors underestimate her 35 years of surgical expertise, leading to an intense confrontation where she uses her skills to outsmart and defeat her enemies in a visually unique action sequence.
Sethi expressed excitement about blending his medical background with the action genre, calling Yeoh the perfect partner for the role. “She will be using her skills in a surprising way,” he said.
The film is produced by Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road, with additional production from Neotext, Lit Entertainment, and Untravelled Worlds. Executive producers include Patrick White and Jay Schuminsky from Lit Entertainment.
“I’m thrilled to see Michelle Yeoh bring depth and power to this complex role,” said Iwanyk, while Wachsberger praised Yeoh’s ability to combine grace with strength, promising a captivating new franchise.
Sethi, who won a Film Independent Spirit Award for his debut film 7 Days, previously co-created The Resident and worked on Code Black. Yeoh, fresh off her Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once, has appeared in Crazy Rich Asians, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and will star in upcoming Avatar sequels and Wicked: For Good.
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