After her roles in the John Wick spinoff film Ballerina and director Ron Howard’s Eden, Ana De Armas is set to play a fitness influencer in a psychological thriller titled Sweat, directed by J Blakeson. The film is based on writer-filmmaker Magnus von Horn's 2020 drama-thriller of the same name, which was supposed to have its world premiere at the cancelled Cannes Film Festival. Blakeson is known for titles such as I Care A Lot, The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, The 5th Wave, and Culprits.
The plot follows an emerging fitness influencer, Armas' Emma Kent, whose ambition is to be as successful as social media sensation Kat Highbrook. However, Kent's carefully curated world starts falling apart as her encounter with Highbrook goes awry, forcing her into an arrangement with an obsessive admirer named Trent. And Trent's devotion for Kent leads to a situation that tests the extent to which she is open to going for the sake of fame.
AGC Studios is attached to finance and co-produce the film, in addition to managing international sales for it. Guy Stodel is producing it under the banner Rosto Inc, along with Blakeson of Crimple Beck and AGC Studios' CEO Stuart Ford.
Production on the film is set to start on March 30 in the UK and Los Angeles. The makers are yet to announce the rest of the cast members.
Magnus von Horn's 2020 original would have had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival if not for its cancellation because of the COVID pandemic. The film is also available on Mubi.