Jesse Plemons Joins Tom Cruise in Mena

Publish date: 2024-09-05

Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry Jones, Jayma Mays and Benito Martinez have joined Tom Cruise‘s suspense-comedy “Mena,” with director Doug Liman starting shooting in Georgia.

Cruise is portraying Barry Seal, a hustler and TWA pilot unexpectedly recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history — one that spawned the birth of the Medellin cartel and eventually almost brought down the Reagan White House through the Iran Contra scandal.

“I love stories of improbable heroes working against the system, and Barry Seal took the government, and our country, for an unbelievable ride,” said Liman.  “Interpreting his story has the makings for an entertaining film that is equal parts satire, suspense and comedy — and always surprising.”

Variety reported last month that Domhnall Gleeson (“Unbroken”) had been cast alongside Cruise and Sarah Wright in “Mena.” E. Roger Mitchell (“Selma”), Lola Kirke and Alejandro Edda have also joined the cast.

Cross Creek Pictures will fully finance “Mena.” Producers are Cross Creek’s Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson, alongside Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Kim Roth and Quadrant Pictures’ Doug Davison.

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“Mena” will film through July in counties throughout Georgia including Cherokee, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinett, Morgan and Pickens. Universal has set a release date of Jan. 6, 2017.

Plemons is best known for his roles in “Friday Night Lights” and the final season of “Breaking Bad.” Jones starred in “X-Men: First Class” and Mays starred in “Glee.”

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