Highland Film Group announced today that Jake Manley (“The Order,” Roland Emmerich’s upcoming “Midway”) has joined Bella Thorne in writer-director Joshua Caldwell’s Southland. Colin Bates and Michael Jefferson of Lucidity Entertainment are producing alongside Thor Bradwell and Scott Levenson. Garrett Clayton, Katie Leary, Bennett Litwin and Adam Litwin will serve as executive producers. Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales continuing at the Cannes Festival this month. Principal Production is set to begin in September.

Jake Manley

Living in a small Florida town and working at a diner was never Arielle’s (Thorne) dream life. She’s always wanted more. Fame. Popularity. Admiration. When she falls for a recently-paroled young criminal named Dean, she drags him back into a life of danger, learning that posting their criminal exploits on social media is an easy way to viral fame. Obsessed with their rising number of followers, they embark on a dangerous adventure together that leads to robbery, cop chases and even murder. Heading to Hollywood, the City of Stars, they will realize what it takes to become famous and have to decide if this dangerous lifestyle is worth it.

Manley starred in Netflix’s hit horror series “The Order” which was recently picked up for a second season. Later this month he can be seen in Universal’s family film “A Dog’s Journey” with Dennis Quaid and Josh Gad, and later this year in Roland Emmerich’s war drama, the aforementionned “Midway,” opposite Darren Criss, Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson and Luke Evans.