Deadline shares that Tubi has begun principal photography on dark western thriller The Thicket, based on Joe R. Lansdale’s novel of the same name. The movie stars Game of Thrones alum Peter Dinklage along with Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets), Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), Levon Hawke (The Crowded Room), Leslie Grace (In The Heights), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Old Man), Macon Blair (I Care A Lot), James Hetfield (Metallica), Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders), Andrew Schulz (Infamous), and Arliss Howard (Mank). Production is underway in Calgary, Canada.

The Thicket is set at the turn of the century and follows an innocent young man, Jack (Hawke), who goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister Lula (Creed-Miles) after she has been kidnapped by the violent killer Cut Throat Bill (Lewis) and her gang. To save her, Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave (Akinnagbe), and a street-smart prostitute (Grace). The gang tracks Cut Throat Bill into the deadly no man’s land known as The Big Thicket — where blood and chaos reign.

Playwright Christopher Kelly will write the adaptation, and Elliott Lester (Sleepwalker) will direct, with Guillermo Garza (Don’t Tell a Soul) serving as DP and Ray Suen (Childish Gambino, Lorde) composing the score.

The Thicket, was selected by the Library Journal as one of the best historical fiction books the year it was published, in 2013. “As Tubi deepens its commitment to a wide range of genres, we are incredibly excited to begin production on The Thicket, which has been a passion project for so many involved,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “This elevated western thriller led by Peter Dinklage and an exceptionally talented team of artists delivers on genre expectations while adding so much more to make the journey into The Thicket unique and mesmerizing.”

The Thicket is produced by Tubi Films, Dinklage and David Ginsberg of Estuary Films, as well as Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev of Nomadic Pictures, Gianni Nunnari of Hollywood Gang, and Andre L III of MiLu Entertainment. Caddy Vanasirikul and Brian O’Shea are also producing via The Exchange, which holds international distribution rights, with Tubi holding rights in the U.S. and Canada.

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