Mark Wahlberg's "By Any Means" Sets Release Date

Paramount has acquired U.S. rights for "By Any Means," a true-life crime thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and set a Labor Day weekend release date of September 4 for the project.

Elegance Bratton directs the pic from a script by Sascha Penn.

“Set against the backdrop of 1966 Mississippi, and loosely based on true events, By Any Means follows a volatile partnership between a hardened mafia hitman and a young Black FBI agent as they are forced into an uneasy alliance to track down those responsible for the killing of civil rights leaders—uncovering a conspiracy that tests the limits of justice, loyalty, and survival,” reads the logline.

Nicole Beharie, David Strathairn, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, and Ethan Embry round out the cast.

Bratton produces with Chester Algernal Gordon for their banner Freedom Principle, along with Alex Lebovici for Hammerstone Studios; Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road Films; and Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson for Municipal.

WME Independent handled the sale, with north.five.six handling international sales.

The David Leitch-directed Amazon MGM Studios crime drama "How to Rob a Bank" also opens on September 4.