Copshop

Copshop

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2021 (2021)
Founder	Joe Carnahan (director), Kurt McLeod (screenplay), Mark Williams (story)
Products	Neo-noir, dark comedy, action thriller film

Copshop is a 2021 American film blending elements of neo-noir, dark comedy, and action thriller, directed by Joe Carnahan with a screenplay by Kurt McLeod and Carnahan, adapted from a story by McLeod and Mark Williams. The narrative features performances by Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, and Alexis Louder, unfolding within the confines of a small-town police station that becomes the arena for a deadly confrontation involving a hitman, a rookie cop, and a con artist.

The movie premiered in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2021, through STXfilms, followed by its United States release on September 17, 2021, distributed by Open Road Films. It was met with generally favorable reviews from critics.

Plot

Teddy Murretto, a con artist, escapes in a bullet-damaged unmarked police vehicle that eventually stalls near Gun Creek, Nevada. Rookie officer Valerie Young intervenes to break up a fight at a casino, during which Murretto strikes her to provoke an arrest and avoid his pursuers. Meanwhile, hitman Bob Viddick gains incarceration by feigning intoxicated driving.

While confined in separate holding cells, Viddick reveals his identity to Murretto. Corrupt officer Huber is pressured into stealing narcotics from evidence storage. Viddick then plants an incendiary device disguised as an insulin pump, setting off the fire alarm. Amidst the ensuing disorder, Viddick incapacitates Sergeant Mitchell and seizes his firearm but is ultimately subdued by Young, who returns him to his cell and performs an emergency tracheotomy on an injured man.

Murretto discloses that he attempted to bribe state attorney general William Fenton on behalf of criminal interests; Fenton refused and was subsequently murdered but had secretly recorded their conversations. Coerced into cooperating with the FBI, Murretto became targeted by both the mob and corrupt Las Vegas police officers. Young discovers that Murretto’s ex-wife and son were killed by Detective Deena Schier, who conceals the FBI shootout scene alongside her corrupt colleagues.

A rival assassin named Anthony Lamb arrives disguised as a balloon delivery person, killing several officers and emergency medical technicians. Huber murders Mitchell and the wounded man. Young barricades herself within the holding cells alongside Murretto and Viddick but sustains an injury from ricocheted gunfire. She deduces that Huber is working for Lamb’s employers; both Huber and Lamb attempt to access Murretto’s cell. Murretto persuades Young to release him so he can retrieve medical supplies, confirming that Lamb was responsible for killing his family.

Two officers return to the station but are slain by Huber and Lamb before Murretto ambushes them. Viddick convinces Young to free him; he then cuts the power and fills the precinct with steam. Viddick tortures Huber while Murretto goes after Lamb. Lamb accidentally kills Huber before being stabbed by Viddick. After being offered the chance to kill Lamb himself, Murretto instead shoots Viddick but finishes off Lamb personally.

Rather than aiding Young, Murretto sets fire to the station but is confronted by her. They exchange gunfire; Young wounds Murretto but is shot by Schier—though her bullet is stopped by body armor—before Viddick kills Schier. Surviving these events, Viddick eliminates Murretto, fulfills his contract, and escapes carrying Murretto’s briefcase along with Lamb’s severed head. Young commandeers an ambulance to give chase as they listen to "Freddie's Dead" on the radio.

Cast

The opening sequence also credits Ben Hoffman as the stunt double for Viddick and Michael Morales as the stunt coordinator.

Development and casting

In September 2020, it was revealed that Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo would headline the action thriller Copshop, with direction by Joe Carnahan. The script was crafted by Kurt McLeod, based on a story co-created by McLeod and Mark Williams. This project represents McLeod’s debut screenplay production; he is primarily a financial advisor based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The final version of the script was revised by Carnahan. Production responsibilities were shared among Williams and Tai Duncan (Zero Gravity Management), Warren Goz and Eric Gold (Sculptor Media), Butler and Alan Siegel (G-BASE Productions), along with Carnahan and Grillo representing WarParty Films.

By October 2020, Alexis Louder was cast in a principal role. Additional supporting parts were assigned to Ryan O'Nan, Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau, and Toby Huss.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in October 2020 at Blackhall Studios located in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional shooting took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Production was temporarily halted on October 2 after three crew members tested positive for COVID-19, but filming resumed by October 5 and concluded by November 20.

Frank Grillo disclosed that director Joe Carnahan’s original edit was rejected, resulting in a version that notably diminished his screen presence.

Lawsuit

Screenwriter Kurt McLeod had optioned his script to Sculptor Media with compensation linked to the film’s budget at 2.5%, estimated between $75,000 and $125,000. Initially informed that the budget would range from $3 million to $10 million, McLeod later discovered it had escalated to approximately $43.5 million following Gerard Butler’s involvement. In March 2022, he filed suit against Zero Gravity Management for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, accusing them of withholding information about the budget increase and neglecting to renegotiate his payment. On January 9, 2024, U.S. District Judge Fred W. Slaughter ruled in favor of Zero Gravity and its founders via summary judgment, deeming McLeod’s claims speculative and noting he had legal representation during negotiations. The court also determined that the Williams brothers were not personally engaged in McLeod’s agreement. Arbitration through the Writers Guild of America awarded story credit to McLeod and Mark Williams, while screenplay credit was granted to McLeod and Joe Carnahan.

Release

Copshop premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 10, 2021, distributed by STXfilms, followed by its U.S. release on September 17, 2021, through Open Road Films.

Home media

The movie became available for digital purchase or rental on November 23, 2021, with physical formats such as Blu-ray and DVD released on December 7, 2021. Starting January 15, 2022, Netflix streamed the film across various international markets.

Box office

Copshop generated $5.2 million domestically across the United States and Canada, alongside $1.5 million from international markets, accumulating a global total of $6.8 million.

In North America, it opened concurrently with Cry Macho, with forecasts estimating roughly $5 million from an engagement in 3,005 theaters. The film earned $950,000 on its opening day and debuted with $2.3 million overall, placing sixth at the box office—a notably low opening for a film screened in over 3,000 venues. During its second weekend, revenue declined by 45% to $1.3 million, resulting in an eighth-place ranking.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an approval rating of 82% based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 6.50/10. The critics' summary notes: "While it introduces few fresh elements to the genre, Copshop will satisfy action enthusiasts looking for a classic thriller experience." According to Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 from 22 critics, signifying "generally favorable" evaluations. Audience responses collected by PostTrak revealed a 62% positivity rate, with 39% of viewers strongly endorsing the film.

Ian Freer from Empire characterized the film as: "A straightforward, well-executed thriller that embraces pulpy, '70s-inspired excitement. Though it lacks originality, it compensates with abundant energy."