Writer-director Todd Turner‘s film The December Cross starring Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Neal McDonough (Minority Report), Mila Harris (No Exit), Stelio Savante (Infidel), Jennifer Esposito (Crash), Judd Hirsch (The Fablemans), and Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things) has finalized cast before starting principal photography in Kentucky.

The film is set in a town called Bethlehem, where border agents have just intercepted a coyote smuggling in a group of tired, desperate, and frightened refugees. There, an 11-year-old girl runs into a 7-year-old boy, Yosef, seeking refuge. Maya and Yosef become fast friends, and their ensuing adventure nearly kills them both but end up warming the hearts of the townspeople with life lessons stretching far beyond their borders.

Archstone Entertainment is securing world sales rights with Joshua Harris of Gala Media Capital Financing.

Turner also serves as producer through Wonderstruck, alongside Gabrielle Almagor for Urban Tales Productions and Michael Slifkin, Scott Martin, and Jack Sheehan of Archstone. The film is executive produced by Michael Burman, Yonni Levy, and Lee Keinan.