Maxwell Jenkins & Thomas Nicholson To Star In WWII Pic ‘Rush’ From Jake Wagoner
EXCLUSIVE: Maxwell Jenkins is set to reteam with Jake Van Wagoner, an executive producer on his 2024 action-horror flick Arcadian, on Rush, a World War II action drama where he’ll produce and star opposite Thomas Nicholson (Yellowjackets) and newcomer Chloe Lysenko.
Set in 1944 during Operation Dragoon, the Allied Powers’ invasion of southern France, Rush follows Jacob “Rush” Rushton (Jenkins), the son of a decorated WWI veteran whose transport plane is struck and crashes deep in occupied France. Stranded behind enemy lines and haunted by guilt from his past, he captures Samuel (Nicholson), a young German soldier whose bitterness collides with Rush’s reluctant heroism. Their uneasy alliance is tested when they encounter Juliette (Lysenko), a French girl orphaned by war, whose innocence forces them to reckon with what it truly means to be brave.
“This film is about courage and hope — doing the right thing even when it’s difficult,” said Van Wagoner. “We have an extraordinary cast led by the deeply gifted Maxwell Jenkins and Thomas Nicholson, who bring heart and complexity to every frame. We can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”
Others in the cast of Rush include Peter Jacobson (Smile 2) and Parker Young (Arrow). In addition to Jenkins, producers on the project include Van Wagoner, Jeremy Prusso, Jake Relic and Garet Allen for Little Wagon Films, which is also handling sales and financing.
Most recently appearing alongside Kevin Bacon in Prime Video’s bounty hunter series The Bondsman, Jenkins has also held key roles on series including Dear Edward and Lost in Space, as well as recurring roles on Reacher and Sense8. His film credits include This Too Shall Pass, Arcadian and Joe Bell. He is repped by Gilbertson Entertainment and Innovative.
Nicholson has been seen on series including Yellowjackets, Young Sheldon, Riverdale, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and The Haunting of Bly Manor, among others. He appeared in RLJE/Shudder’s holiday slasher comedy It’s a Wonderful Knife and will next be seen in Neon’s Kristen Stewart pic The Wrong Girls. He is repped by Alchemy and Red Management.
As a director, Van Wagoner is best known for Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, a family sci-fi adventure comedy starring Emma Tremblay, Will Forte and Jacob Buster, which premiered at Sundance in 2023. He is repped by Gersh, Ronin Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer.
Lysenko is repped by Victor Kruglov & Associates and Innovative; Jacobson by Abrams Entertainment and Innovative; and Young by David Dean Management and Gersh.
