The Hitcher (15) Remake of psycho-thriller about a hitchhiker terrorising a young couple, starring Sean Bean.

A YOUNG couple hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to a spring break. But their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare.

For Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) are tormented by the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher (Sean Bean).

The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are truly blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them.

The open road becomes a suspenseful, action-packed battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's (Neal McDonough) officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears head-on.

Actor Sean Bean, who stars as The Hitcher - homicidal hitchhiker John Ryder - in The Hitcher, admits: "I've never been a hitchhiker, and I've never picked any up - and I don't think I ever will, now"

Zachary Knighton, cast as college student Jim Halsey, adds: "This is a thriller that shows real people in an extraordinary yet believable and accessible situation. To me, that's the biggest fear; something that could actually happen."

"There's nothing in our movie that couldn't happen to somebody," confirms Sophia Bush, who plays opposite Bean and Knighton as college student Grace Andrews. "That's what's terrifying about it."

Dave Meyers makes his feature directing debut with The Hitcher, which updates an earlier film of the same name. He says: "We've got scares, thrills, cars, blood, vistas, and a love story. The Hitcher is actually a date-movie thriller, which audiences usually don't get."

He adds: "I believe that people go to the movies to see memorable characters. Based on that, this project had what I was looking for; not only in terms of The Hitcher - who is to the road what the shark in Jaws is to the water - but also in terms of these two young people who you can care about.

"In most thrillers, they're just one-dimensional kids who get killed off. In this movie, Grace and Jim are on a journey, not only in terms of their road trip but also in terms of their relationship. So there was a good character thriller here for actors, which made it something I was interested in directing."

Bush believes her character is a little like herself: "Grace is like me in that she's outgoing, and a bit of a tomboy and a daredevil. I'm always looking to do roles that are different, and what was exciting for me in taking on this movie was that I could play someone who was a little closer to who I am - and indulge the side of me that wants to do stunts with cars!

"She's a fun-loving girl and pretty strong, and all of that gets put to the test. So, as an actor, I get to play fun, emotional, and action all with one strong female lead role."

Sean Bean, who plays the titular villain, says: "I always try to choose projects that will challenge and excite me, and I've found that playing villains can be more psychologically rewarding. I quite like being scared by movies such as this one, where it's based on psychological fear and suspense and tension.

"The script was a page-turner. Also, I had seen the original film when it came out, and I remember being very scared by it. So, I was delighted to be asked to play this very disturbing character - someone who pushes limits and gets away with it.

"I felt it was important that, initially, you encounter him as a regular guy and not as an out-and-out psycho from the beginning. Ryder is intelligent and shrewd, and a good actor; I see his clothes as coming from a previous victim, as he takes the part of someone else. He himself is a kind of phantom, without his own back story."

Having completed his first feature, director Meyers says: "In the work I've done prior, one of the overlying principles was always trying to be true and real. With those same priorities, hopefully, a sense of realism and the human emotions between a boyfriend and a girlfriend have made The Hitcher a roller-coaster ride that audiences can relate to."