Pelican Pictures is positioning "Solar Storm" as a career-making vehicle for its leads, with David Hackl bringing his proven horror credentials to the action-thriller space. The production company gets a director with franchise experience ("Saw V") and two solid credits in "Dangerous" alongside Mel Gibson—someone who knows how to deliver visceral, high-impact cinema on budget.
Sources close to casting say Jack Hudson has been aggressively pursuing leading roles since "The Devil's Train" gave him a foothold in the action space. This dual star-producer arrangement suggests he's got skin in the game—literally betting his own reputation and potentially capital on this project landing. Lorena Andrea, meanwhile, is making a calculated move away from fantasy into harder-edged territory with "Warrior Nun" still relatively fresh in audiences' minds.
David Hackl directed "Saw V" which was released in theaters on October 23, 2008 and grossed approximately $56 million worldwide against its $10.2 million budget. He also directed "Dangerous" (2021) starring Mel Gibson. Jack Hudson's "The Devil's Train" was a significant indie horror hit that introduced him to action audiences. Joe Rabl wrote the screenplay for "Solar Storm."
Hackl trading Jigsaw-style gore for neo-noir tension is either a savvy career pivot or a risk—depending on whether Pelican Pictures can actually deliver this catastrophic day concept without collapsing under its own ambition. Either way, Hudson and Andrea just got their tickets punched to the next level.
David Hackl, the filmmaker best known for directing "Saw V" in 2008—the blood-soaked installment that helped gross over $56 million worldwide against a modest $10.2 million budget—is making a calculated genre leap with the neo-noir action thriller "Solar Storm." The announcement, broken exclusively by Variety on August 21, 2026, confirms Hackl will direct for Pelican Pictures from a screenplay penned by Joe Rabl. The project marks an interesting pivot point for Hackl, whose career has been largely defined by horror credentials including the Mel Gibson collaboration "Dangerous" in 2021.
Neo-noir action represents different muscle memory entirely—less about elaborate trap mechanisms and more about tight, kinetic storytelling unfolding in real time. According to the production announcement, "Solar Storm" unfolds over a single catastrophic day, a narrative conceit that either signals ambitious compression or potential pacing disaster depending on execution. Jack Hudson stars and serves as producer alongside his leading role—the kind of dual-hat arrangement that tells you he's not just acting here, he's invested.
The "Devil's Train" star has been positioning himself for a breakout into more substantial action territory, and this neo-noir vehicle gives him the gritty canvas to prove he can carry a thriller beyond horror-adjacent material. His involvement as producer suggests real financial or reputational capital is on the line. Lorena Andrea joins as his counterpart, making a notable genre shift from her "Warrior Nun" fantasy roots into harder-edged territory.
The move reads as strategic—building range credentials while the Netflix series visibility remains fresh with audiences. Whether she can convincingly anchor an action lead opposite Hudson in what sounds like high-stakes catastrophe material remains to be seen. The real question hovering over "Solar Storm" isn't just casting or direction—it's whether Pelican Pictures has the infrastructure to deliver on a single-day-catastrophe concept that promises scale without the franchise budget that typically backs such ambitions.
Hackl's horror pedigree suggests he knows how to maximize limited resources for maximum impact. Whether that translates to neo-noir action remains Hollywood's favorite kind of gamble.
