EXCLUSIVE: Mischa Barton has been tapped to lead crime thriller Invitation To A Murder, which is being directed by Stephen Shimek (The Adventure of A.R.I.: My Robot Friend).

The project comes from ACE Entertainment, which will launch worldwide sales at the virtual American Film Market next month. Grindstone Entertainment Group will handle domestic distribution. France Television has taken French rights.

Brian O’Donnell (Akron) penned the script, which is based on an original story by Gérard Miller. When a reclusive billionaire invites six seemingly random strangers to his island estate, intrepid, aspiring detective Miranda Green (Barton) finds the mysterious invitation too alluring to pass up. When another guest turns up dead, Miranda must get to the bottom of the malicious plot behind the gathering to prove herself and maybe save her life. Principal photography is set to commence in November in Illinois.

ACE Entertainment’s Sebastian Semon and Jerome Reydner-Kalfon will executive produce alongside producers Zeus Zamani and Brian Vilim.

ACE and Shimek previously partnered on Guardians of Time, Joey and Ella, and The Adventure of A.R.I.: My Robot Friend.

Barton is represented by WME, Untitled Entertainment, and Kopeikin Law P.C.

ACE’s Sebastian Semon said: “Invitation to a Murder is a suspenseful mystery with twists and turns in the spirit of Agatha Christie’s novels that will keep viewers captivated and guessing. It is the first project of its kind for ACE Entertainment Films, and we are very proud to be working with Grindstone, who will distribute domestically, and France Television, who will distribute in France.”

“At ACE Entertainment, we are focused on developing and producing original IP and have embarked on an ambitious pipeline for growth and expansion beyond family adventure films, with two additional action thrillers in active development. With nearly 20 years distributing award winning films, we have produced 12 films in the past three years and have secured output deals in multiple key territories globally,” added Jerome Reygner-Kalfon.