Abduction is a 2011 American action thriller film directed by John Singleton, produced by Roy Lee and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, and written by Shawn Christensen. The film stars Taylor Lautner in the lead role alongside Lily Collins, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, and Sigourney Weaver in supporting roles.
Nathan Harper is an 18-year-old high school senior living in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his parents Kevin and Mara. He has troubles from recurring nightmares and has been seeing psychiatrist Dr. Geraldine "Geri" Bennett to treat him.
Nathan is teamed with Karen Murphy for a school research project on missing children. He discovers he looks very much like an age-progression photo of a missing child, Steven Price. His investigations show that he and his parents are probably biologically unrelated. He approaches his mother and she confirms the truth.
Two men claiming to be from the Bridgewater Juvenile Justice Department arrive at Nathan's home while Mara has finished confirming to Nathan that his suspicions are true. Mara is suspicious and attacks the two, but is shot and killed by the intruders. Kevin is also killed, but not before shouting for Nathan to run. Nathan runs but returns for Karen, who is captured. Nathan rescues her and attempts to find out who the man is, but is forced out of the house because of a bomb.
The blast injures Karen, so Nathan takes her to the hospital and attempts to contact the police. His call is intercepted by CIA operative Frank Burton, who tells Nathan he is in danger and he will send two men to collect him. Dr. Bennett helps him and Karen escape. Burton explains that Nathan's biological father, Martin, stole an encrypted list of 25 corrupt CIA operatives from the Serbian terrorist and freelance intelligence broker Nikola Kozlow when Nathan was 3. Kozlow then planned on abducting Nathan to coerce Martin to hand over the list. Nathan had been given to his adoptive parents to protect him. Kozlow used the website to claim Nathan as the missing child Steven Price in order to find him. Dr. Bennett gives Nathan the address of a safe house in Arlington, Virginia and tells him to trust only Martin and a man named Paul Rasmus. Burton is warned by his superior to end the situation as soon as possible once he learns of Bennett, who is revealed to be a former CIA operative.
Arriving at the safehouse: the two obtain money, a gun, a photo of Nathan's biological mother Lorna Price, and a cell phone. Karen tries to call her family, but her call is intercepted by Burton and the CIA, as well as Kozlow, forcing them to flee. Finding the address for his mother, the pair discover the address is a cemetery and Lorna has died. Nathan and Karen find fresh flowers at her grave: the sender is Paul Rasmus, who lives in Nebraska. The two take an Amtrak passenger train to get there, using fake IDs provided by their friend Gilly. En route, they confess their feelings and share a kiss. They are unaware that they are being followed by Kozlow's right-hand man, who abducts Karen. He leaves her bound and gagged with duct tape, but she frees herself. Nathan fights the assailant and throws him out the window. Burton's team finds Kozlow's henchman and tracks them down.
Burton explains the data that Martin had stolen to Nathan, who considers that it may contain Burton's name on the list. The agents are attacked by Kozlow's snipers. Nathan and Karen flee in a car but Kozlow calls and threatens to kill Karen's parents if Nathan does not hand over the data. Nathan gets Kozlow to agree to make the transaction at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at their home stadium, PNC Park.
Nathan works with Gilly to obtain tickets and secures a gun with the intent to kill Kozlow. When Kozlow arrives, he tells Nathan how he killed his mother when Nathan was 3 after she refused to give up Martin's location. Kozlow grabs the gun from Nathan and demands the list, Nathan bolts and Kozlow gives chase, followed by CIA operatives. Nathan is called by Martin, who tells him to trust him and run to the south parking lot. Nathan does so and Kozlow is shot and killed by Martin. Burton and his agents arrive, and Burton asks for the cell phone. However, Martin had warned his superior about Burton's corruption and takes the phone himself while Burton is taken into custody. Martin calls Nathan again, apologizing for not being the father he should have been. Nathan asks him to show himself but Martin refuses. However, he assures Nathan no-one will harm him or Karen and then he disappears. Bennett arrives with Karen and says she has arranged for Nathan to live with her until he decides what to pursue in his life. As the movie ends, Nathan and Karen go on a date.
Casting
- Taylor Lautner as Nathan Harper
- Lily Collins as Karen Murphy
- Alfred Molina as Frank Burton
- Jason Isaacs as Kevin Harper
- Maria Bello as Mara Harper
- Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Geraldine "Geri" Bennett
- Michael Nyqvist as Nikola Kozlow
- Dermot Mulroney as Martin Price
- Nickola Shreli as Alec
- Elisabeth Röhm as Lorna Price
- Antonique Smith as Sandra Burns
- Denzel Whitaker as Gilly
- Ilia Volok as Sweater
- Nich Donalies as Cracker Jack Vendor
Lionsgate Films bought screenwriter Shawn Christensen's spec script for Abduction in February 2010, with actor Taylor Lautner attached to the film. The studio won a bidding war for the screenplay, acquiring it for $1 million. Gotham Group and Vertigo Entertainment had developed the script, based on a story idea by Gotham's Jeremy Bell.
Lionsgate rushed to start principal photography in July, due to Lautner's schedule to begin work on the last two Twilight films for Summit Entertainment. Writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff was hired to work on the screenplay, and John Singleton signed on to direct in March. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Lee Stollman, Roy Lee, and Doug Davison produced the film, and Jeremy Bell and Gabriel Mason executive produced. Lautner's father, Dan Lautner, also produced, the first film from their Tailor Made Entertainment label.
On a budget of $35 million, principal photography began on July 12, 2010, in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Lionsgate returned to the region due to tax benefits from Pennsylvania's tax credit program, after filming My Bloody Valentine 3D, Warrior, and The Next Three Days there in 2008 and 2009. An open casting call for extras held at Carnegie Mellon University drew over 900 people in June, many of whom were teenage fans of the Twilight film series.
Many of the film's scenes were shot in suburban Mount Lebanon, some others in Forward Township, and Brownsville in Fayette County. Scenes were shot at Hampton High School in Hampton Township, a suburb north of Pittsburgh. The school's name and mascot, the Talbot, appeared in the film, as did biology students, cheerleaders, and the marching band. Production continued in Pittsburgh, Mount Lebanon, Greensburg and Hampton Township, and lasted into September 2010.
