Naomie Harris, Gwendoline Christie and Mark Williams (Harry Potter, Golden Years) have joined the ensemble cast of a new family adventure film ‘Robin and the Hood.’
Rising star Darcey Ewart will play the lead role of Robin, whilst Harris takes on the role of evil developer ‘Clipboard’, Christie plays environmental activist ‘Aura’ and Williams features as the local Town Mayor.
The official synopsis reads; For the tenacious 11-year-old Robin (Ewart) and her loyal band of friends ‘The Hoods’, the patch of overgrown scrubland at the end of their cul-de-sac is a magical kingdom. Sticks and bin lids have become swords and shields, drones have become majestic eagles and the hippy lady in the forest (Christie) is a terrifying witch. The only thing limiting their colourful imagination is the prospect of losing their kingdom forever. When the slippery property developer Clipboard (Harris) turns up and dazzles the parents of the area...
Rising star Darcey Ewart will play the lead role of Robin, whilst Harris takes on the role of evil developer ‘Clipboard’, Christie plays environmental activist ‘Aura’ and Williams features as the local Town Mayor.
The official synopsis reads; For the tenacious 11-year-old Robin (Ewart) and her loyal band of friends ‘The Hoods’, the patch of overgrown scrubland at the end of their cul-de-sac is a magical kingdom. Sticks and bin lids have become swords and shields, drones have become majestic eagles and the hippy lady in the forest (Christie) is a terrifying witch. The only thing limiting their colourful imagination is the prospect of losing their kingdom forever. When the slippery property developer Clipboard (Harris) turns up and dazzles the parents of the area...
- 11/2/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Daisy Ridley has jumped on board a survival thriller, the next project from ‘1922’ filmmaker Zak Hilditch, ‘We Bury the Dead.’
The movie centres around grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
Also in news – Vanessa Kirby joins RonHoward’s survival thriller ‘Eden’
Written and directed by Hilditch, the film is produced by The Penguin Empire’s Kelvin Munro and Grant Sputore, who produced ‘I Am Mother,’ and Ross Dinerstein of Campfire Studios, who produces Netflix’s upcoming ‘Players.’
The film will be co-produced by Gramercy Park Media with the company’s Joshua Harris and Mark Fasano serving as producers, and Nathan Klingher and Ford Corbett executive producing.
The movie centres around grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
Also in news – Vanessa Kirby joins RonHoward’s survival thriller ‘Eden’
Written and directed by Hilditch, the film is produced by The Penguin Empire’s Kelvin Munro and Grant Sputore, who produced ‘I Am Mother,’ and Ross Dinerstein of Campfire Studios, who produces Netflix’s upcoming ‘Players.’
The film will be co-produced by Gramercy Park Media with the company’s Joshua Harris and Mark Fasano serving as producers, and Nathan Klingher and Ford Corbett executive producing.
- 11/1/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Star Wars sequel trilogy star Daisy Ridley is set to return to the Star Wars universe for another film that is meant to launch “the next chapter” of the franchise – but before she picks up Rey’s lightsaber again, Deadline reports that Ridley will be starring in We Bury the Dead, a survival thriller from Zak Hilditch, the director of the Stephen King adaptation 1922 (which featured an incredible performance from star Thomas Jane).
Scripted by Hilditch, We Bury the Dead is said to be “a story about grief, loss, and the undead.” Ridley will be taking on the role of Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
The project has been fully financed by Screen Australia,...
Scripted by Hilditch, We Bury the Dead is said to be “a story about grief, loss, and the undead.” Ridley will be taking on the role of Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
The project has been fully financed by Screen Australia,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Zak Hilditch, director of the Stephen King movie 1922, is next directing a survival thriller titled We Bury the Dead, and Deadline reports that Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) will star.
“The film is a story about grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment.
“Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a body retrieval unit, but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.”
“Filming will begin in February 2024 in western Australia,” Deadline notes.
We Bury the Dead is written and directed by Hilditch and produced by The Penguin Empire’s Kelvin Munro and Grant Sputore, and Ross Dinerstein of Campfire Studios.
The film will be co-produced by Gramercy Park Media with Joshua Harris and Mark Fasano serving as producers, and Nathan Klingher and Ford Corbett executive producing.
“The film is a story about grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment.
“Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a body retrieval unit, but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.”
“Filming will begin in February 2024 in western Australia,” Deadline notes.
We Bury the Dead is written and directed by Hilditch and produced by The Penguin Empire’s Kelvin Munro and Grant Sputore, and Ross Dinerstein of Campfire Studios.
The film will be co-produced by Gramercy Park Media with Joshua Harris and Mark Fasano serving as producers, and Nathan Klingher and Ford Corbett executive producing.
- 10/31/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Daisy Ridley has found her next project – a survival thriller from Zak Hilditch, director of Stephen King adaptation 1922.
Ridley, who plays Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and is returning to franchise in the next film, will star in We Bury the Dead.
The film is a story about grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
Filming will begin in February 2024 in western Australia. It is fully financed by Screen Australia, Screenwest, Lotterywest, the Wa Regional Screen Fund and Gramercy Park Media. As such, the production complies with the terms of the Meaa / SAG-AFTRA agreement as part of Global Rule One.
We...
Ridley, who plays Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and is returning to franchise in the next film, will star in We Bury the Dead.
The film is a story about grief, loss and the undead. Ridley plays Ava, a desperate woman whose husband is missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit,” but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life.
Filming will begin in February 2024 in western Australia. It is fully financed by Screen Australia, Screenwest, Lotterywest, the Wa Regional Screen Fund and Gramercy Park Media. As such, the production complies with the terms of the Meaa / SAG-AFTRA agreement as part of Global Rule One.
We...
- 10/31/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Industry veteran Josh Kesselman is joining Sugar23 as a producer and manager in the company’s expanding management division.
“Coming to Sugar23 is a dream come true. Michael and I have been talking about working together for years and what better time than in the year 2023! Could not be more excited to be working with all of my new colleagues. The energy and growth at this company is second to none!” said Kesselman.
Prior to Sugar23, Kesselman spent the last decade at Thruline Entertainment. His most recent projects include the Emmy-winning television series The Great and the documentary Obey Giant for Hulu, the docuseries Medal of Honor for Netflix, Dean Craig’s comedy The Estate starring Toni Collette, Anna Faris, and David Duchovny, and A Little White Lie with Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson. Upcoming projects include the crime thriller Devil’s Peak starring Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright, and Hopper Penn,...
“Coming to Sugar23 is a dream come true. Michael and I have been talking about working together for years and what better time than in the year 2023! Could not be more excited to be working with all of my new colleagues. The energy and growth at this company is second to none!” said Kesselman.
Prior to Sugar23, Kesselman spent the last decade at Thruline Entertainment. His most recent projects include the Emmy-winning television series The Great and the documentary Obey Giant for Hulu, the docuseries Medal of Honor for Netflix, Dean Craig’s comedy The Estate starring Toni Collette, Anna Faris, and David Duchovny, and A Little White Lie with Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson. Upcoming projects include the crime thriller Devil’s Peak starring Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright, and Hopper Penn,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
The Stephen King adaptation renaissance is showing no signs of slowing down, in large part thanks to Netflix, which has recently brought three of the author's short stories to our screens. Joining the streamer's library alongside Mike Flanagan's "Gerald's Game," Zak Hilditch's "1922," and Vincenzo Natali's "In The Tall Grass," Netflix has finally released a trailer for the upcoming film, "Mr. Harrigan's Phone," another movie based on a chilling story from the famed horror writer. This time around, the supernatural is clashing with one of the scariest concepts of all: growing up. The film comes from writer-director John Lee Hancock and stars Jaeden Martell and Donald Sutherland in the lead roles.
Coming-of-age drama takes center stage in this story about Craig (Martell), a teenage boy befriending a reclusive billionaire (Sutherland as the titular Mr. Harrigan). They form a bond so strong that not even death can split them...
Coming-of-age drama takes center stage in this story about Craig (Martell), a teenage boy befriending a reclusive billionaire (Sutherland as the titular Mr. Harrigan). They form a bond so strong that not even death can split them...
- 9/15/2022
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
2017 was home to four Stephen King adaptations: "It," "Gerald's Game," "The Dark Tower," (I didn't say they were all good adaptations), and the most slept on, "1922." Released without much advance publicity on Netflix ahead of Halloween, the movie had the least source material to draw from. Instead of a tome like "It" or an eight-book series like "The Dark Tower," "1922" was based on a novella from King's collection "Full Dark, No Stars."
Set in, you guessed it, 1922, the film and book star Wilfred James (Thomas Jane in the film), a Nebraskan farmer who murders his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) with the help of their teenage son Hank (Dylan Schmid). Wilfred is haunted by the deed and his guilt is embodied by a ghost of Arlette and a swarm of rats, both of which may or may not be a hallucination.
King isn't just one of the most prolific authors working,...
Set in, you guessed it, 1922, the film and book star Wilfred James (Thomas Jane in the film), a Nebraskan farmer who murders his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) with the help of their teenage son Hank (Dylan Schmid). Wilfred is haunted by the deed and his guilt is embodied by a ghost of Arlette and a swarm of rats, both of which may or may not be a hallucination.
King isn't just one of the most prolific authors working,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Controversial fact-based Australian drama “Nitram” won the first prize this weekend at the CinefestOz film festival in West Australia. Worth A$100,000 the award is one of the richest in cinema.
The film documents the build-up to a mass murder in Tasmania and its production was opposed by some community groups. But the finished avoids depicting any on-screen violence and instead concentrates on the troubled psychology of the lone perpetrator.
Directed by Justin Kurzel and presented in competition in Cannes in July, “Nitram” won the best acting prize for star Caleb Landry Jones.
Similarly distanced from the actual events, the CinefestOz jury said: “After much deliberation we agree ‘Nitram’ presented a unique perspective of this story, with great use of cinematic language, depth of detail, particularly in performance and many layers of nuance.” The film also features strong performance from Australian actors Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony Lapaglia.
And, while...
The film documents the build-up to a mass murder in Tasmania and its production was opposed by some community groups. But the finished avoids depicting any on-screen violence and instead concentrates on the troubled psychology of the lone perpetrator.
Directed by Justin Kurzel and presented in competition in Cannes in July, “Nitram” won the best acting prize for star Caleb Landry Jones.
Similarly distanced from the actual events, the CinefestOz jury said: “After much deliberation we agree ‘Nitram’ presented a unique perspective of this story, with great use of cinematic language, depth of detail, particularly in performance and many layers of nuance.” The film also features strong performance from Australian actors Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony Lapaglia.
And, while...
- 8/30/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram has added another award to its festival run, crowned the winner of the $100,000 CinefestOZ film prize on Saturday evening.
The story about the lead-up to one of the darkest events in Australian history beat out Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River for the honour, which was announced at the Closing Night Gala at Orana Cinema in Busselton.
It comes after star Caleb Landry Jones won best performance by an actor at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where Nitram became the first Australian film to premiere in competition in a decade.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film also features Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony Lapaglia.
CinefestOZ jury chair Nadia Tass, who has supported the festival virtually from Melbourne, said the compelling thriller was found to...
The story about the lead-up to one of the darkest events in Australian history beat out Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River for the honour, which was announced at the Closing Night Gala at Orana Cinema in Busselton.
It comes after star Caleb Landry Jones won best performance by an actor at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where Nitram became the first Australian film to premiere in competition in a decade.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film also features Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony Lapaglia.
CinefestOZ jury chair Nadia Tass, who has supported the festival virtually from Melbourne, said the compelling thriller was found to...
- 8/30/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Actress Isla Fisher, director Zak Hilditch, producer Judi Levine, and producer Julia Redwood will make up the jury for next week’s CinefestOZ Film Festival.
They are set to join jury chair Nadia Tass to decide which of the four in-competition films will take home the $100,000 Film Prize at the Closing Gala Night August 28 at Orana Cinemas Busselton.
This year’s finalists include Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River.
Fisher has more than 35 years of film and TV experience, having begun appearing in commercials from the age of nine before playing Shannon Reed in Home & Away. She has since gone on to appear in a raft of international productions, including The Wedding Crashers, Rango, The Great Gatsby, Nocturnal Animals, Definitely, Maybe, Now You See Me, Hot Rod, The Brothers Grimsby,...
They are set to join jury chair Nadia Tass to decide which of the four in-competition films will take home the $100,000 Film Prize at the Closing Gala Night August 28 at Orana Cinemas Busselton.
This year’s finalists include Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River.
Fisher has more than 35 years of film and TV experience, having begun appearing in commercials from the age of nine before playing Shannon Reed in Home & Away. She has since gone on to appear in a raft of international productions, including The Wedding Crashers, Rango, The Great Gatsby, Nocturnal Animals, Definitely, Maybe, Now You See Me, Hot Rod, The Brothers Grimsby,...
- 8/18/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Screenwest will help fund the development of six new features from creatives including Alison James, Roderick MacKay, Zak Hilditch, Ben Young, Martin Wilson and Stephen McCallum.
The projects have been funded via the Brighter Ideas program, which was launched to bolster internationally successful Wa talent who have either returned to, or been confined to the state, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
James said of her new project, A Haven for Strays: “I’m thrilled to be one of the recipients of the Brighter Ideas fund and to now have the opportunity to work with a script editor on this screenplay.
“We’re at a unique point where many mid-level and experienced writer/directors have returned to Perth from overseas due to Covid-19 and for a state that has long suffered from brain drain to the Eastern States and the US, I think it’s a great idea to focus their...
The projects have been funded via the Brighter Ideas program, which was launched to bolster internationally successful Wa talent who have either returned to, or been confined to the state, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
James said of her new project, A Haven for Strays: “I’m thrilled to be one of the recipients of the Brighter Ideas fund and to now have the opportunity to work with a script editor on this screenplay.
“We’re at a unique point where many mid-level and experienced writer/directors have returned to Perth from overseas due to Covid-19 and for a state that has long suffered from brain drain to the Eastern States and the US, I think it’s a great idea to focus their...
- 2/8/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
While Aacta’s Byron Kennedy Award is typically given to an individual or organisation who demonstrates “outstanding creative enterprise”, this year the award will go to a film.
The nominees for the honour, which celebrates the legacy of Dr George Miller’s original producing partner and Mad Max co-creator Byron Kennedy, are a short-list of the last decade’s best indie genre features.
The films are diverse, spanning comedies, Westerns, thrillers, horrors and sci-fis, but Aacta has determined each are in line with Kennedy’s “ethos of excellence”, resourcefulness and “the can-do spirit of independent, low-budget local filmmaking.”
They include: The Babadook, Beast, Cargo, Girl Asleep, I Am Mother, The Infinite Man, Mad Bastards, Mystery Road, Red Hill, That’s Not Me, These Final Hours and Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead.
‘Girl Asleep’.
Many nominated are debut features, such as Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook and Zak Hilditch’s These Final Hours,...
The nominees for the honour, which celebrates the legacy of Dr George Miller’s original producing partner and Mad Max co-creator Byron Kennedy, are a short-list of the last decade’s best indie genre features.
The films are diverse, spanning comedies, Westerns, thrillers, horrors and sci-fis, but Aacta has determined each are in line with Kennedy’s “ethos of excellence”, resourcefulness and “the can-do spirit of independent, low-budget local filmmaking.”
They include: The Babadook, Beast, Cargo, Girl Asleep, I Am Mother, The Infinite Man, Mad Bastards, Mystery Road, Red Hill, That’s Not Me, These Final Hours and Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead.
‘Girl Asleep’.
Many nominated are debut features, such as Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook and Zak Hilditch’s These Final Hours,...
- 11/24/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Zak Hilditch.
After trying to find ways to reconfigure Airborne, a thriller set during a mid-flight pandemic, Zak Hilditch has given up, conceding Covid-19 is far more lethal and scarier than the scenario he envisaged.
The filmmaker had been developing the project formerly known as Celestial Blue since 2017, initally with his These Final Hours producer Liz Kearney, later joined by US producer Ross Dinerstein.
Backed by XYZ Films, he planned to shoot in Bulgaria. At an Australians in Film webinar with Ben Young and Natalie Erika James in May, he said: “I’ve had to rewrite the entire film because the fantastical virus that happens on that flight is nothing compared to what has actually happened.”
Today, however, at a Director’s Spotlight session at CinefestOZ in Busselton, he said: “It’s too much of a minefield. The time is not right and I’m not interested in it any more.
After trying to find ways to reconfigure Airborne, a thriller set during a mid-flight pandemic, Zak Hilditch has given up, conceding Covid-19 is far more lethal and scarier than the scenario he envisaged.
The filmmaker had been developing the project formerly known as Celestial Blue since 2017, initally with his These Final Hours producer Liz Kearney, later joined by US producer Ross Dinerstein.
Backed by XYZ Films, he planned to shoot in Bulgaria. At an Australians in Film webinar with Ben Young and Natalie Erika James in May, he said: “I’ve had to rewrite the entire film because the fantastical virus that happens on that flight is nothing compared to what has actually happened.”
Today, however, at a Director’s Spotlight session at CinefestOZ in Busselton, he said: “It’s too much of a minefield. The time is not right and I’m not interested in it any more.
- 8/27/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Catherine S. McMullen with ‘The Other Lamb’ producer Stephanie Wilcox and director Małgorzata Szumowska (Photo credit: Stephanie Wilcox).
Screenwriter Catherine S. McMullen addresses the challenges of making a living in the genre space in Australia and for females to be recognised in the profession.
A former production freelancer, she wrote an episode of the second season of Playmaker Media/Stan’s Bloom, two episodes of Fremantle’s Wentworth Vr and Princess Pictures’ digital series Parked before her international breakthrough, scripting The Other Lamb.
The English-language debut of Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska, the horror movie follows a group of girls and women who live in a mysterious secluded compound with a man they call “Shepherd,” hailed by critics as combining elements of The Witch, The Handmaid’s Tale, Rosemary’s Baby and Carrie.
Q: In the recent Australians in Film webinar with Zak Hilditch, Ben Young and Natalie Erika James, you said it...
Screenwriter Catherine S. McMullen addresses the challenges of making a living in the genre space in Australia and for females to be recognised in the profession.
A former production freelancer, she wrote an episode of the second season of Playmaker Media/Stan’s Bloom, two episodes of Fremantle’s Wentworth Vr and Princess Pictures’ digital series Parked before her international breakthrough, scripting The Other Lamb.
The English-language debut of Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska, the horror movie follows a group of girls and women who live in a mysterious secluded compound with a man they call “Shepherd,” hailed by critics as combining elements of The Witch, The Handmaid’s Tale, Rosemary’s Baby and Carrie.
Q: In the recent Australians in Film webinar with Zak Hilditch, Ben Young and Natalie Erika James, you said it...
- 6/2/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Natalie Erika James, Ben Young and Zak Hilditch.
Australian directors working on productions in the Us get far more time, money and resources than they were accustomed to at home.
But there’s a downside: Loss of creative freedom.
“I liken working in the American studio system to working on a two-hour television commercial where you have a lot of different voices telling you that you are not allowed to do things the way you want to,” says Ben Young, who directed Extinction for Netflix and was co-directing Clickbait for the streamer when production was shut down.
“In making an American film you have way less freedom but way more support. The level of support and resources you get in the Us is amazing but I miss the control I had in Australia.
“What I’m desperately searching for is that middle ground where I can have the toys and...
Australian directors working on productions in the Us get far more time, money and resources than they were accustomed to at home.
But there’s a downside: Loss of creative freedom.
“I liken working in the American studio system to working on a two-hour television commercial where you have a lot of different voices telling you that you are not allowed to do things the way you want to,” says Ben Young, who directed Extinction for Netflix and was co-directing Clickbait for the streamer when production was shut down.
“In making an American film you have way less freedom but way more support. The level of support and resources you get in the Us is amazing but I miss the control I had in Australia.
“What I’m desperately searching for is that middle ground where I can have the toys and...
- 5/24/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Financing feature films is going to be even harder after the pandemic, prompting Truant Pictures’ Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt to offer some practical advice to genre filmmakers.
In a nutshell: Come up with compelling ideas for contained films on low budgets without sacrificing quality. Try to stick to a budget of $3 million, which could be scaled up to $8 million if Netflix or other international players come on board.
The founders of Animal Logic’s genre film and TV production arm surveyed the state of the industry yesterday in an Australians in Film webinar moderated by Krista Carpenter.
The La-based firm is developing 10 features and two TV series and is in the process of financing four of those projects, Nalbandian tells If.
Schmidt, who learned his craft from horror-master Wes Craven and filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan, offered this advice: “Make the most contained, low budget, compelling film you can,...
Financing feature films is going to be even harder after the pandemic, prompting Truant Pictures’ Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt to offer some practical advice to genre filmmakers.
In a nutshell: Come up with compelling ideas for contained films on low budgets without sacrificing quality. Try to stick to a budget of $3 million, which could be scaled up to $8 million if Netflix or other international players come on board.
The founders of Animal Logic’s genre film and TV production arm surveyed the state of the industry yesterday in an Australians in Film webinar moderated by Krista Carpenter.
The La-based firm is developing 10 features and two TV series and is in the process of financing four of those projects, Nalbandian tells If.
Schmidt, who learned his craft from horror-master Wes Craven and filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan, offered this advice: “Make the most contained, low budget, compelling film you can,...
- 4/16/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Screenwest’s re-imagined 2020 West Coast Visions program will fast track more new talent in a two-stage model.
In addition, Sbs acting head of scripted Amanda Duthie and strategic consultant James Hewison from Kinetic will serve as external industry assessors.
Applications are open now and close on Monday May 11 at 5:00pm Awst.
Stage one: Three shortlisted applicants will receive targeted and intensive six-month development and $20,000 in grant development funding.
Stage two: After development, one successful project will be selected to receive production funding of $750,000.
Screenwest talent development manager Eva Di Blasio said: “The new format for the West Coast Visions will enable two additional teams to develop their feature films into market-ready productions.
“The inclusion of Amanda Duthie and James Hewison on the selection panel is a fantastic endorsement of the program and will ensure that three amazing projects go into development and an exceptional, production ready feature is selected as the final recipient.
In addition, Sbs acting head of scripted Amanda Duthie and strategic consultant James Hewison from Kinetic will serve as external industry assessors.
Applications are open now and close on Monday May 11 at 5:00pm Awst.
Stage one: Three shortlisted applicants will receive targeted and intensive six-month development and $20,000 in grant development funding.
Stage two: After development, one successful project will be selected to receive production funding of $750,000.
Screenwest talent development manager Eva Di Blasio said: “The new format for the West Coast Visions will enable two additional teams to develop their feature films into market-ready productions.
“The inclusion of Amanda Duthie and James Hewison on the selection panel is a fantastic endorsement of the program and will ensure that three amazing projects go into development and an exceptional, production ready feature is selected as the final recipient.
- 4/13/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Zak Hilditch, Alison James and infant.
Expat Australian filmmakers in Los Angeles and London are coping as best they can through the Covid-19 pandemic, including supporting each other.
Zak Hilditch was gearing up to shoot Airborne (formerly Celestial Blue), a prescient thriller about a mid-flight pandemic, in Bulgaria mid-year, produced by Liz Kearney and Ross Dinerstein, backed by Xyz Films.
“Like everything else, it’s all a huge grey area as to whether that’s even remotely feasible,” he tells If. Alexandra Daddario is attached to play a flight attendant who struggles to contain the infected passengers and against the odds land the aircraft safely.
Zak’s wife Alison James, who signed with Wme and Grandview after directing the short Judas Collar, is focused on writing and developing her own projects and collaborating with others in the Us and Australia.
I Am Mother’s Grant Sputore and his wife moved...
Expat Australian filmmakers in Los Angeles and London are coping as best they can through the Covid-19 pandemic, including supporting each other.
Zak Hilditch was gearing up to shoot Airborne (formerly Celestial Blue), a prescient thriller about a mid-flight pandemic, in Bulgaria mid-year, produced by Liz Kearney and Ross Dinerstein, backed by Xyz Films.
“Like everything else, it’s all a huge grey area as to whether that’s even remotely feasible,” he tells If. Alexandra Daddario is attached to play a flight attendant who struggles to contain the infected passengers and against the odds land the aircraft safely.
Zak’s wife Alison James, who signed with Wme and Grandview after directing the short Judas Collar, is focused on writing and developing her own projects and collaborating with others in the Us and Australia.
I Am Mother’s Grant Sputore and his wife moved...
- 4/1/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
D.J. McPherson.
Victorian-based writer D.J. McPherson has won the Truant Pictures screenplay competition with her project His Name Is Jeremiah.
McPherson’s screenplay is said to have stood out to judges with for its “rich character work, strong on-the-page craft and a twisted plot that kept readers guessing until the very end.”
Set in a rural Australian town, His Name Is Jeremiah tells the story of a teen struggling to adjust after her estranged mother returns from jail. Feeling lost and alone, the teen develops a dangerous obsession with a missing boy, setting off a chain of events that unfold mysteries from the past and present.
McPherson has been awarded a $5,000 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Truant Pictures is the live-action genre arm of Animal Logic Entertainment,...
Victorian-based writer D.J. McPherson has won the Truant Pictures screenplay competition with her project His Name Is Jeremiah.
McPherson’s screenplay is said to have stood out to judges with for its “rich character work, strong on-the-page craft and a twisted plot that kept readers guessing until the very end.”
Set in a rural Australian town, His Name Is Jeremiah tells the story of a teen struggling to adjust after her estranged mother returns from jail. Feeling lost and alone, the teen develops a dangerous obsession with a missing boy, setting off a chain of events that unfold mysteries from the past and present.
McPherson has been awarded a $5,000 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Truant Pictures is the live-action genre arm of Animal Logic Entertainment,...
- 11/25/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Three finalists have been selected for a screenplay competition run by fledgling Sydney and La-based production outfit Truant Pictures. The trio will be read and noted by Stuart Beattie, Zak Hilditch (Rattlesnake) or Yolanda Ramke (Cargo).
Launched in 2018, Truant is a subsidiary of creative studio Animal Logic. It is overseen by Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian with VPs of Development and Production Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
The selected writers all have scripts from the horror, sci-fi or thriller genres. The winner, who will be announced on November 25, will receive a $3,400 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Nalbandian and Schmidt.
The finalists are:
David Willing and Beth King – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing...
Launched in 2018, Truant is a subsidiary of creative studio Animal Logic. It is overseen by Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian with VPs of Development and Production Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
The selected writers all have scripts from the horror, sci-fi or thriller genres. The winner, who will be announced on November 25, will receive a $3,400 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Nalbandian and Schmidt.
The finalists are:
David Willing and Beth King – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing...
- 11/17/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Truant Pictures development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live-action genre arm Truant Pictures has selected three finalists for its screenplay competition, designed to uncover emerging writing talent in the realms of horror, sci-fi and thriller.
The finalists, chosen from hundreds of submissions, are reported by Truant to “exhibit a unique voice, strong craft and a compelling command of their genre.”
The finalists are:
David Willing & Beth King (Vic) – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing child is hell-bent on destroying her family.
Jonathon Green & Anthony O’Connor (Nsw) – Emma After
A ghost girl falls in love with the living boy she’s meant to haunt away.
D.J. McPherson (Vic) – His Name Is Jeremiah
A damaged teen girl from a remote Australian town struggles to adjust when her violent mother is released from jail.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live-action genre arm Truant Pictures has selected three finalists for its screenplay competition, designed to uncover emerging writing talent in the realms of horror, sci-fi and thriller.
The finalists, chosen from hundreds of submissions, are reported by Truant to “exhibit a unique voice, strong craft and a compelling command of their genre.”
The finalists are:
David Willing & Beth King (Vic) – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing child is hell-bent on destroying her family.
Jonathon Green & Anthony O’Connor (Nsw) – Emma After
A ghost girl falls in love with the living boy she’s meant to haunt away.
D.J. McPherson (Vic) – His Name Is Jeremiah
A damaged teen girl from a remote Australian town struggles to adjust when her violent mother is released from jail.
- 11/17/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
One of our favorite up-and-coming directors here at Dread Central is Zak Hilditch. The man impressed the hell out of us with his Netflix horror one-two punch of Rattlesnake and his adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922. And today we’ve learned via Deadline that his new airplane thriller Airborne has snagged Alexandra Daddario as its lead. […]
The post Zak Hilditch’s Airplane Thriller Airborne Adds Alexandra Daddario appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Zak Hilditch’s Airplane Thriller Airborne Adds Alexandra Daddario appeared first on Dread Central.
- 11/5/2019
- by Mike Sprague
- DreadCentral.com
Exclusive: Xyz Films has taken on international rights to Zak Hilditch’s thriller Airborne, which will star Alexandra Daddario (Baywatch) as a flight attendant who faces a mid-flight pandemic.
When the deadly disease spreads throughout the plane, she must contain the infected passengers and against unlikely odds land the aircraft safely.
Ross Dinerstein of Campfire will produce with Liz Kearney. The project will be taking off at Afm for Xyz, with Endeavor Content looking to land the domestic sale.
Director Hilditch credits include These Final Hours, which played at Cannes in 2014, and two Netflix movies: an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922, which debuted on the platform in 2017, and mystery horror Rattlesnake, which was released online last month.
Airborne was previously set up at Covert Media under the title Celestial Blue.
Xyz’s Afm slate also features Tiff premieres Synchronic and Color Out of Space, as well as Gilded Rage with Christoph Waltz,...
When the deadly disease spreads throughout the plane, she must contain the infected passengers and against unlikely odds land the aircraft safely.
Ross Dinerstein of Campfire will produce with Liz Kearney. The project will be taking off at Afm for Xyz, with Endeavor Content looking to land the domestic sale.
Director Hilditch credits include These Final Hours, which played at Cannes in 2014, and two Netflix movies: an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922, which debuted on the platform in 2017, and mystery horror Rattlesnake, which was released online last month.
Airborne was previously set up at Covert Media under the title Celestial Blue.
Xyz’s Afm slate also features Tiff premieres Synchronic and Color Out of Space, as well as Gilded Rage with Christoph Waltz,...
- 11/4/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Carmen Ejogo is a mother forced to make a horrifying sacrifice in a staggeringly dull film bereft of suspense, creativity and purpose
With 2017’s 1922, the writer-director Zak Hilditch announced himself as a skilled conjurer of mood, a patient horror film-maker who prioritised slow-burn atmosphere over cheap jump scares. The bleak Stephen King adaptation was one of Netflix’s better original genre offerings and now, as his follow-up, he has handed the platform one of its worst with Rattlesnake, a quick, useless scrap of content with no discernible purpose other than to fill digital space.
Related: Countdown review – hapless haunted app horror should be uninstalled...
With 2017’s 1922, the writer-director Zak Hilditch announced himself as a skilled conjurer of mood, a patient horror film-maker who prioritised slow-burn atmosphere over cheap jump scares. The bleak Stephen King adaptation was one of Netflix’s better original genre offerings and now, as his follow-up, he has handed the platform one of its worst with Rattlesnake, a quick, useless scrap of content with no discernible purpose other than to fill digital space.
Related: Countdown review – hapless haunted app horror should be uninstalled...
- 10/25/2019
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
Fresh off of her role in the new season of True Detective, Carmen Ejogo has another mystery to solve, but this time it's in Netflix's upcoming horror film, Rattlesnake.
The Zak Hilditch-directed film, due out on Oct. 25, looks incredibly tense and sees Ejogo playing Katrina, a single mother driving cross country with her young daughter, Clara (Apollonia Pratt), in tow. Everything goes to hell when their car breaks down in the middle of a desert, and Clara wanders off into the brush while her mother changes a tire. The next thing she knows, Katrina hears her daughter screaming and soon discovers she's been bitten by a venomous rattlesnake.
In order to save her daughter, Katrina ends up going to extreme lengths when she accepts the help of a mysterious woman in the area who instantly heals the fatal bite. But the good deed comes at a steep price...
The Zak Hilditch-directed film, due out on Oct. 25, looks incredibly tense and sees Ejogo playing Katrina, a single mother driving cross country with her young daughter, Clara (Apollonia Pratt), in tow. Everything goes to hell when their car breaks down in the middle of a desert, and Clara wanders off into the brush while her mother changes a tire. The next thing she knows, Katrina hears her daughter screaming and soon discovers she's been bitten by a venomous rattlesnake.
In order to save her daughter, Katrina ends up going to extreme lengths when she accepts the help of a mysterious woman in the area who instantly heals the fatal bite. But the good deed comes at a steep price...
- 10/16/2019
- by Quinn Keaney
- Popsugar.com
We’ve got a trippy trailer for you to check out for the Netflix film, Rattlesnake. The movie stars Carmen Ejogo as a mother who is driving with her daughter through the desert. When they get a flat tire and she gets out to change it, her daughter walks into a field and gets bitten by a rattlesnake. The mother runs her to a trailer she sees in the distance, and strange events begin to happen.
When a single mother (Ejogo) accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter (Apollonia Pratt) is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself making an unthinkable deal to repay her debt.
The film was written and directed by Zak Hilditch (1922) and also stars Theo Rossi and Emma Greenwell. Check out the intense trailer below, and see Rattlesnake on Netflix on October 25th.
When a single mother (Ejogo) accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter (Apollonia Pratt) is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself making an unthinkable deal to repay her debt.
The film was written and directed by Zak Hilditch (1922) and also stars Theo Rossi and Emma Greenwell. Check out the intense trailer below, and see Rattlesnake on Netflix on October 25th.
- 10/14/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Rattlesnake Trailer Zak Hilditch‘s Rattlesnake (2019) movie trailer has been released by Netflix and stars Carmen Ejogo, Apollonia Pratt, Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell, and Debrianna Mansini. Plot Synopsis Rattlesnake‘s plot synopsis (spoilers): “The film centers on a single mother (Ejogo) who, while driving cross-country with her young daughter, has a flat tire in the middle [...]
Continue reading: Rattlesnake (2019) Movie Trailer: After Carmen Ejogo’s Daughter is Saved, She Must Kill to Repay the Debt...
Continue reading: Rattlesnake (2019) Movie Trailer: After Carmen Ejogo’s Daughter is Saved, She Must Kill to Repay the Debt...
- 10/13/2019
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Tagline: "Time Waits for No One." Rattlesnake is an upcoming thriller from production company Campfire. Moving to Netflix's streaming service in late October, the film offers Katrina (Carmen Ejogo) a difficult choice - after her daughter is bitten by a rattler. In order to save her daughter's life, she must sacrifice another. Rattlesnake is one part thriller and one part horror, with Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours) directing. Hilditch also brought 1922 to this same streaming service in 2017. As well, Rattlesnake also stars: Emma Greenwell (Holy Ghost People), Apollonia Pratt and Theo Rossie. The film's first trailer and movie poster are here. The trailer shows Katrina in a number of challenging situations. On the hunt for an easy victim, Katrina is reminded of how her time is running out. One mysterious characters states "now you owe a life in return" and "you only have until sunset." This is not a...
- 10/11/2019
- by noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Time waits for no one... When a single mother (Carmen Ejogo) accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter (Apollonia Pratt) is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself making an unthinkable deal to repay her debt. Written and directed by Zak Hilditch (1922), also starring Theo Rossi and Emma Greenwell, and produced by Ross Dinerstein (1922).
Synopsis:
When a single mother accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself making an unthinkable deal to repay her debt.
The film stars Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell and Apollonia Pratt.
It was written and directed by Zak Hilditch (1922),
Rattlesnake bites into Netflix on October 25.
Check out the official trailer below:...
Synopsis:
When a single mother accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself making an unthinkable deal to repay her debt.
The film stars Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell and Apollonia Pratt.
It was written and directed by Zak Hilditch (1922),
Rattlesnake bites into Netflix on October 25.
Check out the official trailer below:...
- 10/10/2019
- QuietEarth.us
"What was done to your daughter, doesn't come cheap..." Netflix has debuted the first official trailer for a psychological horror-thriller called Rattlesnake, a very plain title for this film since it's about a rattlesnake (bite). Talented actress Carmen Ejogo, who we last saw in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, stars in this Netflix film. When a single mother accepts the help of a mysterious woman after her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, she finds herself forced to make an unthinkable deal to repay her debt. Described as a "pulse-pounding, psychological horror" also starring Theo Rossi and Emma Greenwell. This seems to be borrowing from (and then twisting) the Monkey's Paw concept, except it's only one thing that the mother must do in exchange for her daughter's life being spared. Might be good? Especially with Ejogo in the lead. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Zak Hilditch's Rattlesnake,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Joseph Baxter Oct 10, 2019
Carmen Ejogo headlines Netflix horror movie Rattlesnake, playing a mother who makes a dubious deal to save her snake-bit daughter.
Rattlesnake is one entry amongst a sizable slate of fall season horror offerings over at Netflix.
A psychological horror tale brandishing a tinge of supernatural themes, Rattlesnake – a title that’s simultaneously literal and metaphorical – is mainly a performance showcase for star Carmen Ejogo, who plays a single mother who unwittingly makes a Faustian bargain of sorts with a mysterious woman who wields the power to save her daughter, who was bit by a rattlesnake in a remote, cell-signal-deprived desert location. However, as expected, said bargain comes with a colossal cost, one for which a diverse array of seemingly-demonic individuals are coming to collect.
Zak Hilditch wrote and directed Rattlesnake, directly following up his 2017 Netflix Stephen King adaptation horror film, 1922.
Rattlesnake Trailer
The trailer for Rattlesnake has arrived,...
Carmen Ejogo headlines Netflix horror movie Rattlesnake, playing a mother who makes a dubious deal to save her snake-bit daughter.
Rattlesnake is one entry amongst a sizable slate of fall season horror offerings over at Netflix.
A psychological horror tale brandishing a tinge of supernatural themes, Rattlesnake – a title that’s simultaneously literal and metaphorical – is mainly a performance showcase for star Carmen Ejogo, who plays a single mother who unwittingly makes a Faustian bargain of sorts with a mysterious woman who wields the power to save her daughter, who was bit by a rattlesnake in a remote, cell-signal-deprived desert location. However, as expected, said bargain comes with a colossal cost, one for which a diverse array of seemingly-demonic individuals are coming to collect.
Zak Hilditch wrote and directed Rattlesnake, directly following up his 2017 Netflix Stephen King adaptation horror film, 1922.
Rattlesnake Trailer
The trailer for Rattlesnake has arrived,...
- 10/10/2019
- Den of Geek
Netflix traditionally celebrates the Fall and Halloween season with a lineup of horror movies and television series, all under the umbrella term “Netflix & Chills.” We already saw some of the planned titles in our September roundup, but the new list reveals a more comprehensive selection, with the streaming service also dropping a teaser for Fall 2019 that has plenty for horror fans to sink their teeth into.
The promo, which you can see above, includes original highlights like the Stephen King and Joe Hill adaptation In the Tall Grass, serial killer flick In the Shadow of the Moon, medical trauma in Eli, kidnapping horror in Brad Anderson’s Fractured, and Zak Hilditch’s fiendish bargain movie Rattlesnake.
On the series front, we’ll be getting everything from a horror novelist dealing with literal demons in Marianne, to Stranger Things‘ Gaten Matarazzo in reality show Prank Encounters.
The full schedule for September...
The promo, which you can see above, includes original highlights like the Stephen King and Joe Hill adaptation In the Tall Grass, serial killer flick In the Shadow of the Moon, medical trauma in Eli, kidnapping horror in Brad Anderson’s Fractured, and Zak Hilditch’s fiendish bargain movie Rattlesnake.
On the series front, we’ll be getting everything from a horror novelist dealing with literal demons in Marianne, to Stranger Things‘ Gaten Matarazzo in reality show Prank Encounters.
The full schedule for September...
- 9/13/2019
- by Jessica James
- We Got This Covered
Taking advantage of Friday the 13th, Netflix has released a sizzle reel for its “Netflix & Chills” horror brand, as well as release dates and first-look images for four original movies.
Check out the schedule below for the genre program, which includes original films and series as well as acquired fare like FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse and Scream 2.
The initiative kicks off Friday with the French-language original series Marianne, and wraps up October 25 with the debut of original film Rattlesnake and original series Prank Encounters.
Netflix released images (see them below) and dates for In the Tall Grass (October 4); Fractured (October 11); Eli (October 18); and Rattlesnake (October 25).
In the Tall Grass is based on a short story first published in Esquire, written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. It stars Harrison Gilbertson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Will Buie Jr., Rachel Wilson and Patrick Wilson. Vincenzo Natali wrote and directed.
Check out the schedule below for the genre program, which includes original films and series as well as acquired fare like FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse and Scream 2.
The initiative kicks off Friday with the French-language original series Marianne, and wraps up October 25 with the debut of original film Rattlesnake and original series Prank Encounters.
Netflix released images (see them below) and dates for In the Tall Grass (October 4); Fractured (October 11); Eli (October 18); and Rattlesnake (October 25).
In the Tall Grass is based on a short story first published in Esquire, written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. It stars Harrison Gilbertson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Will Buie Jr., Rachel Wilson and Patrick Wilson. Vincenzo Natali wrote and directed.
- 9/13/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Tania Chambers and Renée Webster.
Writer/director Renée Webster and producers Tania Chambers of Feisty Dame Productions and Judi Levine of Such Much Films are the recipients of Screenwest’s 2019 West Coast Visions initiative.
They will receive $750,000 towards the feature film How To Please A Woman, a heartfelt comedy drama about Gina, an admin worker who starts a company providing women with quality sexual experiences packaged with a houseclean. She soon discovers the boundless nature of not only their desires but also her own.
The project has received development funding from Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Brilliant Stories initiative and Screenwest’s feature development program.
Screenwest head of production and development Matt Horrocks said the film’s DNA was strong and its underlying themes were universal, observing: “The ideas explored in the film will touch audiences worldwide and I’m very excited to see another Western Australian feature film creating...
Writer/director Renée Webster and producers Tania Chambers of Feisty Dame Productions and Judi Levine of Such Much Films are the recipients of Screenwest’s 2019 West Coast Visions initiative.
They will receive $750,000 towards the feature film How To Please A Woman, a heartfelt comedy drama about Gina, an admin worker who starts a company providing women with quality sexual experiences packaged with a houseclean. She soon discovers the boundless nature of not only their desires but also her own.
The project has received development funding from Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Brilliant Stories initiative and Screenwest’s feature development program.
Screenwest head of production and development Matt Horrocks said the film’s DNA was strong and its underlying themes were universal, observing: “The ideas explored in the film will touch audiences worldwide and I’m very excited to see another Western Australian feature film creating...
- 7/12/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live action genre arm Truant Pictures today launched a screenplay competition designed to discover new talent.
The call-out is for any writers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents and who earned no more than $30,000 from fiction screenwriting in the past 12 months.
The scripts must be in the genres of horror, science fiction and/or thriller.
The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ Sydney office and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Two finalists will each receive $1,000 cash and all three will be read and given notes from one of the three judges: Stuart Beattie, Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and Zak Hilditch, plus written feedback from La-based ex-pat Aussie script consultant Tim Schildberger.
Entries opened today and can be submitted until September 2, with the winners announced in November.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live action genre arm Truant Pictures today launched a screenplay competition designed to discover new talent.
The call-out is for any writers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents and who earned no more than $30,000 from fiction screenwriting in the past 12 months.
The scripts must be in the genres of horror, science fiction and/or thriller.
The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ Sydney office and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Two finalists will each receive $1,000 cash and all three will be read and given notes from one of the three judges: Stuart Beattie, Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and Zak Hilditch, plus written feedback from La-based ex-pat Aussie script consultant Tim Schildberger.
Entries opened today and can be submitted until September 2, with the winners announced in November.
- 6/30/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Baywatch, San Andreas and True Detective star Alexandra Daddario is to play the lead in the horror thriller Celestial Blue from Australian writer-director Zak Hilditch.
Covert Media, led by CEO Paul Hanson (Ophelia, District 9), will finance, produce and handle worldwide rights on the project and is introducing it to buyers in Cannes. Liz Kearney (Acute Misfortune, Paper Planes) has also come on board as producer.
Celestial Blue centers on a flight attendant (Daddario) struggling with the recent death of her mother. When a deadly pandemic breaks out onboard a Sydney-bound flight from Los Angeles, she is forced to summon inner strength she never knew existed....
Covert Media, led by CEO Paul Hanson (Ophelia, District 9), will finance, produce and handle worldwide rights on the project and is introducing it to buyers in Cannes. Liz Kearney (Acute Misfortune, Paper Planes) has also come on board as producer.
Celestial Blue centers on a flight attendant (Daddario) struggling with the recent death of her mother. When a deadly pandemic breaks out onboard a Sydney-bound flight from Los Angeles, she is forced to summon inner strength she never knew existed....
- 5/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Baywatch, San Andreas and True Detective star Alexandra Daddario is to play the lead in the horror thriller Celestial Blue from Australian writer-director Zak Hilditch.
Covert Media, led by CEO Paul Hanson (Ophelia, District 9), will finance, produce and handle worldwide rights on the project and is introducing it to buyers in Cannes. Liz Kearney (Acute Misfortune, Paper Planes) has also come on board as producer.
Celestial Blue centers on a flight attendant (Daddario) struggling with the recent death of her mother. When a deadly pandemic breaks out onboard a Sydney-bound flight from Los Angeles, she is forced to summon inner strength she never knew existed....
Covert Media, led by CEO Paul Hanson (Ophelia, District 9), will finance, produce and handle worldwide rights on the project and is introducing it to buyers in Cannes. Liz Kearney (Acute Misfortune, Paper Planes) has also come on board as producer.
Celestial Blue centers on a flight attendant (Daddario) struggling with the recent death of her mother. When a deadly pandemic breaks out onboard a Sydney-bound flight from Los Angeles, she is forced to summon inner strength she never knew existed....
- 5/18/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“Sons of Anarchy” star Theo Rossi has joined the cast of “Rattlesnake,” an upcoming Netflix movie from filmmaker Zak Hilditch.
Character details are under wraps, but Rossi will star alongside Carmen Ejogo in the psychological thriller, which is currently in production.
It follows a single mother who accepts emergency help from a mysterious woman when her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake. She’s forced to return the favor by taking the life of a stranger in the desert town of Tulia, Texas. Hilditch is reteaming with producer Ross Dinerstein and his label Campfire on the project.
Rossi most recently appeared on two seasons of the Netflix series “Luke Cage,” part of the streamer’s cluster of Marvel Studios television properties, where he played fan favorite villain Hernan Enrique Salazar “Shades” Alvarez. His breakout role came on Kurt Sutter’s FX series “Sons of Anarchy,” where he portrayed hacker and intelligence officer Juice Ortiz.
Character details are under wraps, but Rossi will star alongside Carmen Ejogo in the psychological thriller, which is currently in production.
It follows a single mother who accepts emergency help from a mysterious woman when her daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake. She’s forced to return the favor by taking the life of a stranger in the desert town of Tulia, Texas. Hilditch is reteaming with producer Ross Dinerstein and his label Campfire on the project.
Rossi most recently appeared on two seasons of the Netflix series “Luke Cage,” part of the streamer’s cluster of Marvel Studios television properties, where he played fan favorite villain Hernan Enrique Salazar “Shades” Alvarez. His breakout role came on Kurt Sutter’s FX series “Sons of Anarchy,” where he portrayed hacker and intelligence officer Juice Ortiz.
- 11/19/2018
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s psychological thriller Rattlesnake is a movie we’re now keeping a close eye on. It’s set to be directed by Zak Hilditch, who directed the Netflix adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922. And today we have word via Collider that Carmen Ejogo will lead the film. I love the film’s premise, involving “a single mother who […]
The post Netflix’s Rattlesnake Adds Carmen Ejogo & Theo Rossi appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Netflix’s Rattlesnake Adds Carmen Ejogo & Theo Rossi appeared first on Dread Central.
- 10/17/2018
- by Mike Sprague
- DreadCentral.com
Zak Hilditch and Justin Monjo project “The Haunting of Mary Todd” is among four genre film efforts to be set up at Truant Pictures. Truant is the new genre-specialist production arm of Animal Logic, the Australian digital effects firm.
Truant will “primarily develop and produce the films in collaboration with emerging and established Australian talent. Wherever possible the films will be produced in Australia for a worldwide market,” Animal Logic announced on Tuesday.
Truant Pictures will be headquartered at Animal Logic’s Sydney-based studios and will also operate out of its Los Angeles offices alongside sister company Animal Logic Entertainment, producer of Sony’s recent “Peter Rabbit.” Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian will produce. Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt will serve as VPs of development and production.
Other projects on Truant’s debut slate include: “Biohackers,” with Stephen McCallum and Michael Kratochvil; “The Galvanist,” with Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause; and “The Gooynboon,...
Truant will “primarily develop and produce the films in collaboration with emerging and established Australian talent. Wherever possible the films will be produced in Australia for a worldwide market,” Animal Logic announced on Tuesday.
Truant Pictures will be headquartered at Animal Logic’s Sydney-based studios and will also operate out of its Los Angeles offices alongside sister company Animal Logic Entertainment, producer of Sony’s recent “Peter Rabbit.” Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian will produce. Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt will serve as VPs of development and production.
Other projects on Truant’s debut slate include: “Biohackers,” with Stephen McCallum and Michael Kratochvil; “The Galvanist,” with Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause; and “The Gooynboon,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Animal Logic has launched Truant Pictures, a new production company that will act as a subsidiary of the successful Aussie animation outfit with a focus on live-action genre films for the Australian market. Truant will be headquartered at Animal Logic’s Sydney-based studios and also operate out of its Los Angeles offices alongside Animal Logic Entertainment. The plan is to develop and produce the films in collaboration with emerging and established Australian talent, to be produced wherever possible in Australia for a worldwide market.
It already has projects in development including The Haunting of Mary Todd with Zak Hilditch and Justin Monjo, Biohackers with Stephen McCallum and Michael Kratochvil, The Galvanist with Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause, and The Gooynboon with Jub Clerc. It now is looking to boost that slate.
Animal Logic’s animation credits include the Lego movie franchise and this year’s Peter Rabbit. The news comes...
It already has projects in development including The Haunting of Mary Todd with Zak Hilditch and Justin Monjo, Biohackers with Stephen McCallum and Michael Kratochvil, The Galvanist with Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause, and The Gooynboon with Jub Clerc. It now is looking to boost that slate.
Animal Logic’s animation credits include the Lego movie franchise and this year’s Peter Rabbit. The news comes...
- 8/14/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival commenced today and although Netflix was forced to compete Out of Competition, opting to remove their original slate entirely, the entertainment company continues to build upon its already formidable filmography.
Deadline is reporting that Netflix has closed a deal for In the Tall Grass, a novella written by Stephen King and his son, fellow bestselling horror author Joe Hill. The logline for the story sees a sister and brother venture into a vast field of grass in Kansas after hearing a young boy cry for help. The kin soon discover, however, that there may not be a way out.
Set to begin production in Toronto this summer, Westworld‘s James Marsden is currently in negotiations to star with Vincenzo Natali, director of Splice, expected to helm the adaptation. Produced by Steve Hoban (Splice), Jimmy Miller (Elf), and Matt Riley (The Lazarus Effect), In the Tall Grass...
Deadline is reporting that Netflix has closed a deal for In the Tall Grass, a novella written by Stephen King and his son, fellow bestselling horror author Joe Hill. The logline for the story sees a sister and brother venture into a vast field of grass in Kansas after hearing a young boy cry for help. The kin soon discover, however, that there may not be a way out.
Set to begin production in Toronto this summer, Westworld‘s James Marsden is currently in negotiations to star with Vincenzo Natali, director of Splice, expected to helm the adaptation. Produced by Steve Hoban (Splice), Jimmy Miller (Elf), and Matt Riley (The Lazarus Effect), In the Tall Grass...
- 5/9/2018
- by Joseph Falcone
- We Got This Covered
Breakout actress Angourie Rice (“rhymes with floury and dowry,” as she clarifies in her Instagram bio) loves to read. How much? She’d already read the book her latest movie is based on before even being in consideration for the part!
“I checked it out of the library because I thought it looked cool,” the Australian actress, 17, tells People of Every Day by David Levithan. “I really loved it. I was very excited when my agent emailed me and said this film was going to be made.”
As Rhiannon in the big screen adaption of the young adult novel, Rice...
“I checked it out of the library because I thought it looked cool,” the Australian actress, 17, tells People of Every Day by David Levithan. “I really loved it. I was very excited when my agent emailed me and said this film was going to be made.”
As Rhiannon in the big screen adaption of the young adult novel, Rice...
- 2/21/2018
- by Dana Rose Falcone
- PEOPLE.com
This past year was simply too good for horror fans.
I wasn’t sure where to even start making a list of favorites for 2017. Theatrical horror killed it like never before, the indie scene remains vital and strong, horror TV is bigger than ever, and cult and boutique video labels continue putting out gorgeous Blu-rays of gem after gem. There’s really too much to include here. Movies like Get Out, The Shape of Water, and Raw are absolutely among my favorites of the year, but because I’ve talked about them elsewhere and they’ve previously been covered by my brilliant colleagues here at Daily Dead, I’ll try to focus on some other picks instead.
Here, in no real order, are some of my favorites in horror for 2017:
Stephen King: 2017 was one of the best years to be a Stephen King fan I can remember in my lifetime,...
I wasn’t sure where to even start making a list of favorites for 2017. Theatrical horror killed it like never before, the indie scene remains vital and strong, horror TV is bigger than ever, and cult and boutique video labels continue putting out gorgeous Blu-rays of gem after gem. There’s really too much to include here. Movies like Get Out, The Shape of Water, and Raw are absolutely among my favorites of the year, but because I’ve talked about them elsewhere and they’ve previously been covered by my brilliant colleagues here at Daily Dead, I’ll try to focus on some other picks instead.
Here, in no real order, are some of my favorites in horror for 2017:
Stephen King: 2017 was one of the best years to be a Stephen King fan I can remember in my lifetime,...
- 1/5/2018
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Ryan Lambie Dec 8, 2017
As The Dark Tower heads to disc, we take a look back at a screen year that's been big for Stephen King adaptations...
In the late 60s and early 1970s, a new generation of horror storytellers brought the genre out of the past and into the troubled, turbulent present. In cinemas, such directors as George A Romero, Tobe Hooper and David Cronenberg ushered in a new age of modern, fleshier horror, where the images were disturbing and the capes and castles of old Dracula and Frankenstein movies were entirely absent.
Over in the literary world, such writers as Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) and William Peter Batty (The Exorcist) were injecting creating a similarly seismic impact, sparking a pulp horror boom that would last until well into the 1980s. Few authors, however, have enjoyed the fame or the sheer longevity of Stephen King. Still in his 20s when his first novel,...
As The Dark Tower heads to disc, we take a look back at a screen year that's been big for Stephen King adaptations...
In the late 60s and early 1970s, a new generation of horror storytellers brought the genre out of the past and into the troubled, turbulent present. In cinemas, such directors as George A Romero, Tobe Hooper and David Cronenberg ushered in a new age of modern, fleshier horror, where the images were disturbing and the capes and castles of old Dracula and Frankenstein movies were entirely absent.
Over in the literary world, such writers as Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) and William Peter Batty (The Exorcist) were injecting creating a similarly seismic impact, sparking a pulp horror boom that would last until well into the 1980s. Few authors, however, have enjoyed the fame or the sheer longevity of Stephen King. Still in his 20s when his first novel,...
- 12/8/2017
- Den of Geek
Halloween always provides a good excuse to celebrate scary movies, but as anyone keen on the genre knows, it’s never really a bad time to do that. That’s especially been true this year, long before “It” broke box office records. Just a few months into 2017 and it was already a banner year for genre films, with “Get Out” becoming a cultural phenomenon, new horror festivals generating headlines, and other promising developments that send a positive message to genre fans. While the industry worries about the future of moviegoing and the quality of the art form in a blockbuster-dominated era, horror fans have nothing to worry about — the genre is secure, but only if you know where to look.
Keeping up our annual tradition, here’s an overview of 13 of the very best horror indies produced over the last 12 months, all of which are available to rent, on streaming platforms or in theaters.
Keeping up our annual tradition, here’s an overview of 13 of the very best horror indies produced over the last 12 months, all of which are available to rent, on streaming platforms or in theaters.
- 10/31/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Low-key dramatics and a one-dimensional theme characterize 1922, the latest screen adaptation of a Stephen King story. Released on Netflix this past Friday, my initial reaction to Zak Hilditch's film was quite muted and left me grumbling with dissatisfaction, much like the lead character's grunts and groans. But the singular focus pays wicked dividends, and it's remained on my mind ever since. Thomas Jane stars as the grunting, groaning and grumbling Wilfred James, a farmer in the Midwestern United States in the titular year of 1922. He is the stubborn owner of 80 acres of farmland. He married Arlette (Molly Parker) in his youth, a fellow land owner whose 100 acres are invaluable to their existence; she works just as hard as he does to...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/23/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Guilt may be the focus of “1922,” but it’s the audience’s patience that gets a workout. The story of a Midwestern farmer coming to terms with his role in his wife’s murder, Zak Hilditch’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novella of the same name feels overlong or maybe underfed, fleshing out the character’s mental deterioration in handsome but unsurprising detail. Even boasting strong performances from the likes of Thomas Jane and Molly Parker, “1922” feels best suited for its home on Netflix (premiering October 20) as Hollywood shuffles through its latest surge in King-themed projects. Jane plays Wilfred James,...
- 10/19/2017
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
Months from now, or maybe years, we’ll probably look at Zak Hilditch’s “1922” as the most essential Stephen King adaptation produced in 2017. Competition is stiff: Andy Muschietti’s “It” and Mike Flanagan’s “Gerald’s Game,” respectively released in theaters and on Netflix in September, both successfully translate King’s work from page to screen, no small feat being as consensus qualifies their source materials as “unfilmable.” (Grant that Nikolaj Arcel’s attempt at turning “The Dark Tower” into cinema failed spectacularly, but grant also that perhaps he had a tougher assignment.)
Muschietti’s aesthetic sense and broadcasted scares make “It” feel like a spooky carnival ride.
Continue reading ‘1922’ Is The Most Essential Stephen King Adaptation Of 2017 [Review] at The Playlist.
Muschietti’s aesthetic sense and broadcasted scares make “It” feel like a spooky carnival ride.
Continue reading ‘1922’ Is The Most Essential Stephen King Adaptation Of 2017 [Review] at The Playlist.
- 10/18/2017
- by Andrew Crump
- The Playlist
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