Crime Scene Pictures announced today that Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris, Wedding Crashers) will star in The Coup, which John Erick Dowdle (Devil, Quarantine) will direct from a script he co-wrote with his brother Drew Dowdle.

The film is described as being an intense thriller centered on an American family that moves to Southeast Asia and finds themselves embroiled in a violent coup where rebels mercilessly attack the city.

"We love the relentless energy of the Dowdle Brothers' script – and their vision for dropping Owen in the midst of the chaos is truly inspired," say Crime Scene Pictures partners Adam Ripp and Rob Paris.

Producer Steve Alexander continued: "When I first read the Dowdles' screenplay, I was immediately taken with how strongly it taps into that primal fear which any parent can relate to, when it comes to the safety and protection of their family."

Ripp and Paris are financing and have teamed up with Alexander and Drew Dowdle to produce. Rizal Risjad and Philip Elway will executive produce. Filming will begin in October in Southeast Asia.

(Photo Credit: FayesVision / WENN.com)