Driven

For years Joe Tanto (SYLVESTER STALLONE) has tried to forget -- forget his mistakes, the blown opportunities, the wasted potential, not to mention the accident on the track that almost killed him and another racecar driver. But each day the pain and scars remind Joe of the once-promising racing career he threw away. When owner Carl Henry (BURT REYNOLDS) asks him if he wants his old job back, Joe jumps at the rare opportunity for a second chance. There’s only one catch: he has to help the rookie sensation Jimmy Bly (KIP PARDUE), who is falling from the top rankings. It’s Joe’s one chance to get back on the track … but in the name of someone else’s victory. International box-office star and Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone ("Get Carter," "Rocky") wrote, produces and stars in Franchise Pictures’ Driven, which reunites him with director RENNY HARLIN, with whom he made the blockbuster action thriller, "Cliffhanger." Harlin, who has helmed some of the most dynamic action films of all time, including "Deep Blue Sea" and "Die Hard 2: Die Harder," also produces. In addition to Stallone and film legend Burt Reynolds (Academy Award nominee for "Boogie Nights"), Driven also stars Gina Gershon ("The Insider," "Bound"), Kip Pardue ("Remember the Titans"), Robert Sean Leonard ("The Last Days of Disco"), Stacy Edwards ("In the Company of Men"), Estella Warren (Tim Burton’s upcoming "The Visitor"), Til Schweiger ("Judas Kiss"), Cristian de la Fuente (the CBS drama "Family Law") and Brent Briscoe ("A Simple Plan"). Currently in production in Montreal, Driven is the ultimate E-ticket ride: a racing movie that uses state-of-the-art film technology to simulate the driver’s point of view in excess of 200 miles-per-hour. "Driven is not just about guys driving fast," says director/producer Harlin. For Stallone, the film, which focuses on the lives of four drivers, is also a highly personal exploration of regret, success, fame and the redemptive power of love. "Driving and racing are great symbols for many things," Stallone says. "When you think about it, each one of us engages in one type of a race or another in our lives. " The film, which completed filming in Toronto and Chicago before moving to Montreal, is produced by Franchise Pictures’ ELIE SAMAHA ("The Art of War," "Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards"), along with Stallone and Harlin. Andrew Stevens ("Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards"), Don Carmody ("Get Carter," "The Whole Nine Yards") and Kevin King ("Get Carter," "CopLand") are the executive producers.