Justin Piasecki’s Action-Thriller ‘Ballast’ Finds a Home at Netflix with Thunder Road Producing

Netflix Acquires Action-Thriller "Ballast" from Justin Piasecki

Netflix has secured the action-thriller script "Ballast," penned by Justin Piasecki of Relay. The project is set to be produced by Thunder Road, led by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, with Charlie Morrison attached as the executive producer.

"Ballast," which was featured on the 2021 Black List, centers around a shipping engineer and her crew who become embroiled in a perilous situation at sea upon discovering a cache of car bombs concealed among the thousands of vehicles on board.

Piasecki’s deal follows the recent success of Relay, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and was subsequently released by Bleecker Street last summer. Relay tells the story of a mysterious fixer, played by Riz Ahmed, who aids whistleblowers in evading those intent on silencing them. Utilizing an anonymous relay system designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, he sacrifices his own protection to help a biotech scientist, portrayed by Lily James, expose a deadly corporate cover-up, only to question her true motives. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald.

Known for his original screenplays, Piasecki has gained recognition in the industry for works like "Stakehorse," which topped the Black List and attracted a bidding war that resulted in Amazon purchasing it, with Justin Lin set to direct. He also received the Nicholl Fellowship for "Last Meal," which is to be directed by Ramin Bahrani. Additionally, in the television space, Piasecki is developing "WitSec" at HBO, with Chernin Entertainment producing.

Thunder Road, the production company behind "John Wick," is involved in several upcoming projects, including "Mister," an action-comedy featuring Walton Goggins and Chloë Grace Moretz, scheduled to begin filming in Madrid next month. Their slate also includes the Lionsgate thriller "Day Drinker," starring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, Elegance Bratton’s crime thriller "By Any Means," and the action film "The Surgeon," featuring Michelle Yeoh.

Piasecki is represented by Paradigm, Range Media Partners, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.