‘Yellowstone’s Cole Hauser Developing FBI Action Thriller ‘Pale Horse’ Alongside Constantin Film With Eye To Star

EXCLUSIVE: Constantin Film and Yellowstone star Cole Hauser‘s American Outlaw Entertainment are partnering on Pale Horse, an action thriller chronicling Scott Payne’s dangerous 28-year career as an FBI undercover agent.

Based on the New York Times bestselling true-crime memoir Code Name: Pale Horse by the now-retired Payne and Michelle Shephard, the project tells the story of how Payne embedded deep within the country’s most violent subcultures — including his high-stakes infiltration of the neo-Nazi white supremacist group The Base in Georgia, as well as Operation Roadkill, a harrowing two-year assignment where Payne successfully infiltrated the ruthless Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Massachusetts. The memoir details how he navigated a treacherous world of criminal enterprise, intense rivalries and constant suspicion while pushing his mind, body, marriage and faith to the absolute limit.

Pale Horse is being developed as a potential starring vehicle for Hauser, who will produce. Also producing is his partner Randall Batinkoff, who’s adapting the screenplay. Robert Kulzer of Resident Evil producer Constantin Film will also produce, with Payne and Constantin Film’s Oliver Berben serving as executive producers.

In a statement to Deadline, Constantin’s Kulzer said, “Code Name: Pale Horse is a revealing, terrifying and unbelievable true story of a single man who jeopardized everything to subvert one of the most dangerous neo-Nazi groups in the U.S. Dubbed ‘the Hillbilly Donnie Brasco,’ Scott Payne’s tough-as-nails account follows the triumphs, the setbacks and all of the moving parts of undercover operations. He’s truly an authentic hero and we cannot wait to bring this exciting and urgent story to life.”

Hauser said, “These are the type of stories that I am drawn to as a producer and as an actor. Scott Payne is a real-life hero, with the kind of moxie and edge you would need to risk your life to fight evil. I am looking forward to producing this movie and getting a chance to bring him and his story to life on the screen.”

Known for starring in as Rip Wheeler in Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Yellowstone and sequel Dutton Ranch, Hauser is also an exec producer on the latter. Currently, his American Outlaw Entertainment is also developing Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Poker with Sylvester Stallone and his Balboa Productions at MGM Television.

Riding high off the success of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, the highest-grossing installment in the franchise at over $401M worldwide, Constantin Film also recently saw Lionsgate take to U.S. theaters with its monster flick Beware Boiúna, directed by Mike P. Nelson and starring Logan Marshall-Green.

Hauser, Batinkoff and American Outlaw Entertainment are represented by Independent Artist Group and Yorn Levine. Payne is repped by CAA and Larry Weissman Literary.