Lucy Hale will lead the cast of survival thriller Borrego, along with Good Doctor actor Nicholas Gonzalez.

Hale will play a young botanist who relocates to a small desert town to study an invasive plant species. While out on research, she comes to the aid of a downed plane only to find herself taken captive by an inexperienced drug mule who forces her to lead a trek across the sweltering desert to his drop.

Local sheriff (Gonzalez) is drawn into the hunt as his rebellious daughter sets out to find the missing botanist, all the while being pursued by a local drug receiver.

Leynar Gómez, Jorge A. Jimenez and Olivia Trujillo round out the cast.

Jesse Harris will direct from his own script and and produce under his Abcde Pictures banner. Black Magic’s Greg Lauritano, who recently worked with Hale on Brian Petsos’ Big Gold Brick, and Tucci & Company’s Damiano and Tiziano Tucci will also produce. Hale will serve as executive producer.

Hale, repped by ICM Partners and Reel Talent Management, was last in theaters with horror Fantasy Island. Gonzalez is repped by Pakula/King & Associates, Vault Entertainment and Felker Toczek. Gómez is repped by Talent on the Road. Jimenez is repped by McKeon/Myones Entertainment. Trujillo is with CESD Talent.

Sources