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Omari Hardwick Joins 'Empire City' as Antagonist in Gerard Butler, Hayley Atwell Thriller

The Power alum steps into the villain role with production in Melbourne at its midpoint.

Overview

  • Hardwick will play Hawkins, the primary foe in the action-thriller led by Gerard Butler and Hayley Atwell.
  • Set inside New York’s Clybourn Building, the film follows firefighter Rhett and his NYPD wife Dani during a high-stakes hostage crisis.
  • Filming is underway in Melbourne, which is doubling for New York, with work reported to be roughly halfway complete.
  • Mel Jarnson joins as Leda, Hawkins’ right-hand operative, with Tre Hale, Michael Beach, Dominic Bogart, Stephen Murphy, and Jack DiFalco in Butler’s squad.
  • Michael Matthews directs from a script by Brian Tucker and S. Craig Zahler, with producers Marc Butan, Butler, Alan Siegel, and Paul Currie, and a theatrical release targeted for 2026 without a set date.