Percy Hynes White & Jeff Wahlberg Lead Lovers-On-The-Run Thriller Crime Novella, Roland Emmerich Exec-Producing & First Look Revealed

The landscape of independent cinema is poised for a significant addition with the announcement of Crime Novella, a high-stakes romance thriller that marks the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Omar de Soto. The project, which recently wrapped production, has garnered industry attention not only for its eclectic ensemble cast but also for its commitment to the aesthetic discipline of 35mm film. Financed by Centropolis Entertainment and backed by industry veteran Roland Emmerich as executive producer, the film promises to blend classic cinematic tropes with a contemporary, transgressive edge.

The Production and Aesthetic Vision

Principal photography for Crime Novella concluded this summer, following an ambitious shooting schedule that spanned multiple locations, including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and various sites across Mexico. The decision to shoot on 35mm film represents a deliberate stylistic choice by de Soto, favoring the tactile, organic texture of analog film over the ubiquity of digital cinematography. This approach is intended to evoke the gritty, atmospheric quality often associated with the neo-noir and road-movie genres of the late 20th century.

According to early statements from the production team, the film is envisioned as a "modern descendant" of iconic road-trip dramas such as Terrence Malick’s Badlands and David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. By positioning itself within this lineage, Crime Novella aims to explore themes of desperate love, social displacement, and the extreme lengths to which individuals will go to maintain a connection under duress.

A High-Profile Ensemble

The casting of Crime Novella highlights a deliberate mix of rising stars and seasoned character actors. Leading the project are Percy Hynes White and Jeff Wahlberg, who star as the central lovers, "Cash" and "Valentine."

Hynes White, who gained global recognition for his portrayal of Xavier Thorpe in the Netflix phenomenon Wednesday and recently garnered critical praise for his role in the Sundance coming-of-age comedy-drama My Old Ass, brings a established fan base to the project. Opposite him, Jeff Wahlberg continues his momentum in the industry, having recently appeared in the third season of HBO’s Euphoria.

Supporting the leads is a cast of notable international performers:

• Zlatko Burić: The Danish-Croatian actor, known for his European Film Award-winning performance in Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness, joins the production. Burić has a history with the production team, having previously collaborated with Roland Emmerich on the 2009 disaster epic 2012.
• Bobby Soto: Recognized for his compelling performance in David Ayer’s The Tax Collector, where he starred alongside Shia LaBeouf, Soto provides a grounding intensity to the narrative.
• Ava del Cielo: With a resume featuring prominent roles in House of Cards, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, and the MGM+ series Get Shorty, del Cielo adds significant dramatic weight to the ensemble.

Strategic Financing and Leadership

The film is being produced by Paul Bennett IV of Replica and Marco Shepherd of Centropolis Entertainment. The involvement of Centropolis—a company synonymous with large-scale tentpole productions—marks a notable shift toward the support of smaller, more intimate auteur-driven projects. Roland Emmerich, serving as executive producer, brings decades of institutional knowledge and global distribution expertise to the table, which could be a deciding factor in the film’s eventual reach in both domestic and international markets.

Co-producers Jessica Olthof and Helena Martel Seward have played pivotal roles in navigating the complex, multi-location logistics of the production, ensuring the film maintained its vision while navigating the constraints of a contemporary independent budget.

Creative Rationale and Director’s Perspective

In a statement regarding the casting and the development of the film, Omar de Soto expressed that the characters of Cash and Valentine were the structural pillars of the narrative. "Percy and Jeff understood the world I was trying to build from the beginning," de Soto noted. "They are intoxicating onscreen; you simply cannot take your eyes off them."

The director further emphasized the contributions of the broader cast, stating that Burić, Soto, and del Cielo provided the "special sauce" necessary to make the film’s "whimsical world feel lived in." De Soto also acknowledged the collaborative nature of the production, specifically crediting the crew for their dedication to completing the project "on our own terms," suggesting an emphasis on creative control that is increasingly rare in the current studio-dominated landscape.

Industry Implications and Market Position

The decision to pursue a "transgressive" narrative in a market currently saturated with intellectual property (IP) adaptations and franchise sequels represents a calculated risk. By targeting the aesthetic of 1970s and 90s cult cinema, Crime Novella aims to attract a demographic of cinephiles and younger viewers who have shown an increasing appreciation for "analog" storytelling and stylized, character-driven narratives.

The choice of locations—ranging from the high-desert landscapes of New Mexico to the neon-drenched environments of Las Vegas—is a classic indicator of a film that relies on setting as an active participant in the story. In road-thrillers, the landscape often mirrors the internal state of the protagonists; the transition from the isolation of the desert to the frenetic pace of urban centers in Mexico and Los Angeles will likely serve as a visual shorthand for the characters’ deteriorating security.

Chronology of the Project

• Pre-Production: Development and assembly of the creative team, with Centropolis Entertainment securing financing.
• Summer 2026: Principal photography commences across multiple locations in the Southwestern United States and Mexico.
• September 2026: Official announcement of the cast and release of the first look at the production, signaling the move into post-production.
• Future Outlook: As the film moves through the editing and post-production phase, industry analysts expect a festival premiere in early 2027, given the prestige of the cast and the involvement of established producers.

Fact-Based Analysis

Crime Novella arrives at a time when the "lovers on the run" genre is seeing a minor resurgence in independent circles, as filmmakers look back to the gritty, non-digital aesthetics of the past to differentiate their work from the high-gloss look of streaming-platform content. The combination of an executive producer with massive commercial experience (Emmerich) and a director focused on an analog, auteur-driven aesthetic (de Soto) creates an interesting intersection of resources and creative intent.

The casting of Percy Hynes White and Jeff Wahlberg suggests that the production is targeting a younger, digital-native audience, while the inclusion of Zlatko Burić provides the film with the critical prestige necessary to capture the attention of festival programmers and reviewers.

As the project progresses toward completion, the industry will be watching to see how the film’s distribution strategy unfolds. Given the participation of Centropolis, it is likely the film will seek a platform that can support both a limited theatrical run—to honor the 35mm format—and a robust streaming release, balancing the demands of high-quality cinema with the realities of modern media consumption.

For now, the first-look images released by the production provide a tantalizing glimpse into a world that is clearly intended to be both nostalgic and immediate. With the production team emphasizing that the cast and crew were able to make the film "on their own terms," there is a clear expectation that Crime Novella will function as a calling card for de Soto’s directorial voice, potentially setting a new standard for independent thriller production in the coming years.