Noriega searching for 'Last Stand'

NoriegaSpanish thesp Eduardo Noriega, who presently stars opposite Mike Shepard inside the Butch Cassidy pic "Blackthorn," is positioned to square off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in Lionsgate's "Last Stand."South Korean helmer Kim Jee-Woon directs the knowledge pic, which finds Schwarzenegger playing the sheriff from the sleepy little town who runs facing an steered obvious of drug cartel leader vulnerable to the Mexican border.Noriega may have Cortez, a callous fugitive who expects to leave to Mexico in the Gumpert Apollo with $400 million.Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Peter Stormare and Zach Gilford co-star inside the film, that's being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Andrew Knauer written the first spec script that was subsequently rewritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff plus much more recently, George Nolfi. Lionsgate has worldwide distribution rights on "Last Stand," due to hit theaters Jan. 18, 2013. Production starts March. 20 in New Mexico.Noriega, who's most broadly noted for starring in Alejandro Amenabar's "Open Your VisionInch and Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone," formerly came out in Kaira Anderson's "Transsiberian" and Pete Travis' "Perspective." Thesp also carried out the title character in Josh Evans' 2005 indie pic "Che Guevara."Noriega is repped by UBBA and Framework Entertainment. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com