Zoë Bell to make her directorial debut with Shazam star - Spy

Stuntwoman Zoë Bell is set to make her feature film directorial debut in an action-packed movie.

Homegrown Hollywood talent Zoë Bell will make her directorial debut, with Spy hearing the film has a Shazam star on the bill already.

World famous New Zealand stuntwoman and coordinator Zoë Bell is set to make her feature film directorial debut in an action-packed movie to be shot in Godzone later this year.

Bell’s project is called Free Fall, and Spy understands it’s a rock-climbing thriller featuring Zachary Levi, star of the DC Universe’s Shazam franchise.

Bell tells Spy that Free Fall is emotionally poignant, and a pretty ambitious film which she says is a perfect mix.

“I can’t wait to assemble a stellar team in New Zealand and crack this nut!”

Free Fall is a rock-climbing thriller featuring Zachary Levi, star of the DC Universe’s Shazam franchise.

The distinguished US-based stuntwoman has a stacked CV of movies in which she has worked. She is most famous for working with A-List director Quentin Tarantino for over 20 years in his movies including the Kill Bill series, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Tarantino cast Bell as character Six Horse Judy in his 2016 movie The Hateful Eight, and came to New Zealand with Bell for the Auckland premiere.

Bell has also built up steady work acting and producing and has dabbled in directing. However, Free Fall will be her first time directing a feature film.

The movie is set to follow a father (Levi), who tries to mend fences with his estranged daughter by bringing her on a rock-climbing trip which takes an abrupt left turn, leaving them stranded in danger.

It’s not the first Hollywood action mountain movie to take advantage of the alpine opportunities of New Zealand and bring in major Hollywood stars to the country.

In 2000, Vertical Limit filmed around Queenstown. Tom Cruise used that local terrain for Mission: Impossible – Fallout, for his heart-stopping helicopter chase that was filmed in the “triangle” between Milford Sound, Queenstown and Lake Wanaka.

Levi is also set to executive produce the movie for XYZ Films, along with both writers of the movie - Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell. Prolific New Zealand producers Tom Hern and Nua Finau of Tavake round out the production team.

Free Fall will be XYZ and Tavake’s second venture together, following the production of the soon-to-be-released series Madam - a dramedy starring Australian actress Rachel Griffiths and Kiwi Martin Henderson. Madam will be on local screens for Three this winter. The story follows a woman who starts an escort agency in a small New Zealand town to provide an income for her family.