MANHATTAN — Hollywood thriller "Man on a Ledge" plunges from its Madison Avenue perch and into theaters Friday, where it will compete with the newly-announced crop of Oscar nominees for movie-goers' attention.
The film, which is set precariously on the ledge of the Roosevelt Hotel on East 45th Street, stars Aussie action-hero Sam Worthington as an ex-NYPD officer turned escaped convict who threatens to plunge to his death in a desperate bid to clear his name.
Worthington appears opposite 30 Rock star Elizabeth Banks, who plays the NYPD negotiator attempting to talk him down. The film also stars Jamie Bell and Ed Harris, who flesh out an exciting — if implausible — diamond-heist plot twist.
Hopefully Manhattanites like the finished product better than they did the filming. Worthington told the New York Daily News that passers-by were so irritated by the process that they actually shouted at him to "hurry up and do it" if he intended to jump.
But with stiff competition expected from Liam Neeson's "The Grey" and the Oscar nominees, insiders anticipate the film will take in just $10 million this weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"Man on a Ledge" opens today in theaters across Manhattan.
