Narcotics Thriller Beast Of Burden Taps Daniel Radcliffe

A heroic wizard, an elusive magician, a flatulent corpse – we can now add drug-smuggling pilot to Daniel Radcliffe’s eclectic résumé, according to The Tracking Board, now that the British star has been tapped to headline indie thriller Beast of Burden.

Not to be confused with The Rolling Stones hit of the same name, Beast of Burden marks the English-language debut of Jesper Ganslandt, the Swedish director best known for The Ape and Blondie, along with a handful of shorts and documentaries. Adam Hoelzel is the brains behind the screenplay, one which finds Radcliffe in the role of Sean Haggerty, a seasoned pilot who risks his life and career by flying 55 pounds of cocaine across the border in a small plane. He’ll have to remain hidden from the prying eyes of both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cartel, which ought to lay the groundwork for a tense, nail-biting thrill ride.

Currently teetering on the edge of pre-production, beyond Radcliffe, The Tracking Board didn’t disclose any further casting announcements for Beast of Burden so early on. Flight and Clint Eastwood’s Sully introduced viewers to pilots that were brilliant, yet deeply flawed though, so it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the moviegoing masses take to an aviator that isn’t afraid to stray outside the parameters of the law.