Gal Gadot to star in new thriller 'The Runner'

Gadot will play a lawyer whose son is kidnapped. Her character must run all over London, carrying out demands from a mysterious caller who has taken her child. 

By HANNAH BROWN NOVEMBER 13, 2024 00:34 Updated: NOVEMBER 13, 2024 00:35

Actor Gal Gadot arrives for the Ninth Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 15, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/AUDE GUERRUCCI)

Gal Gadot has been cast in the starring role in The Runner, a new action thriller set in London to be directed by Kevin Macdonald, according to Deadline.com on Monday.

Gadot will play a lawyer whose son is kidnapped. Her character must run all over London, carrying out demands from a mysterious caller who has taken her child. 

In addition to her signature Wonder Woman role, Gadot has starred in several thrillers, including Netflix’s Heart of Stone in 2023. She plays the Evil Queen in the Disney upcoming live-action version of Snow White, which is scheduled to be released in 2025. 

A few days before the announcement, the Wonder Woman star posted video on her Instagram account showing that she was starting to go running with a coach. The extremely fit mother of four admitted that running is the only exercise she doesn’t love. Presumably, she is getting into shape for her new role. 

Macdonald directed the Oscar-winning documentary about the massacre of the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, One Day in September. Macdonald’s other films include The Last King of Scotland, The Mauritanian, and State of Play, as well as the documentaries, Whitney, about Whitney Houston, and Marley, about Bob Marley. Macdonald, who was born in Scotland, is the grandson of the legendary Jewish director, Emeric Pressburger, who co-directed, with Michael Powell, such classics as The Red Shoes and I Know Where I’m Going!

Gal Gadot from the official LA community Israel 75th anniversary celebration (credit: EDEN SHOHAT)

Hosting a screening of Come Closer

On Monday night, Gadot hosted a Los Angeles preview screening of Tom Nesher’s movie, Come Closer, in which Nesher and Anthony Bregman, one of the film’s producers, met with the audience. Gadot posed for photos with Nesher and Darya Rosenn, one of the movie’s stars, and posted a photo on her Instagram account.

Come Closer won the Ophir Award for Best Picture, which makes it Israel’s official selection for consideration for a nomination for a Best International Feature Oscar. Screenings are held for films in this category for Academy members, who can then vote for the shortlist of up to 15 films, which will be released on December 17. The five nominees will be taken from the shortlist, and the nominations will be announced on January 17.

Come Closer, which won the Viewpoints Award at the Tribeca Festival last June, will have its official West Coast premiere at the opening-night gala of the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles on November 13. The movie is Nesher’s feature directorial debut and tells the story of a young woman coping with the sudden death of her brother in an accident and has been a critical and box-office success in Israel since its September release.