Hollywood circles are abuzz with anticipation for High Side, a high-octane project centred on the motorcycle underworld and a complex family saga. The film package, adapted from an unpublished Jaime Oliveira short story and being pitched by Sugar23, could reunite Timothée Chalamet with director James Mangold after their Oscar-nominated success on A Complete Unknown. Chernin Entertainment is attached to produce, while the short story pitch is garnering interest well beyond the film industry, catching the eye of major publishing houses.
At the heart of High Side is Billy, a former MotoGP phenom who left racing behind after a traumatic crash and now tends to his ailing, addicted father while running the family’s struggling garage. Billy’s estranged brother, Cole, has a troubled history and is being hunted by the FBI. Everything changes when Cole abruptly returns following their father’s death. Cole, intent on leveraging Billy’s unmatched riding skills, ropes him into a series of daring bank heists on superbikes, teaming up with a ragtag crew that includes a woman who quickly becomes Billy’s lover.
Their small-town bank robberies are executed with precision, but with every successful job, the stakes become higher. Tensions escalate as Lennox, an FBI agent entangled in a complicated past with Cole, intensifies her pursuit. The crew sets sights on one final, high-risk score, timing their biggest bank heist with a major motorcycle parade for cover, setting the stage for a finale packed with breakneck action and emotional upheaval.
Meanwhile, Timothée Chalamet remains a hot commodity, currently filming the climax of Dune and prepping for A24’s Marty Supreme, a table tennis drama directed by Josh Safdie. Industry watchers are eagerly tracking High Side, waiting to see if the Chalamet–Mangold magic will strike again.
