Month: May 2021

Bryan Cranston to star in ‘Grief Tourist’

‘Breaking Bad’ star set for indie thriller

Bryan Cranston, who just won his third consecutive Emmy for “Breaking Bad,” will star in indie thriller “The Grief Tourist” with Michael Cudlitz (“Southland”).

Vision Entertainment Group has partnered with Suzanne De Laurentiis Prods. on the project. Zachery Bryan (“Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift”), Adam Targum, De Laurentiis and Cudlitz are producing.

Story centers on a troubled soul who retraces the footsteps of serial killers who fascinate him as his hobby. His dark obsession with past killers soon becomes his reality and leads viewers on a menacing and horrific journey inside his twisted mind.

Tyro helmer cuts his teeth on ‘Machete’

Editing assistant takes reins under Robert Rodriguez

By JUSTIN KROLL

Many people in Hollywood would give anything to be a movie star. But Ethan Maniquis, who’s served in an array of editing roles on Robert Rodriguez’s films dating back to 1995′s “Desperado,” says he’d prefer to stay behind the camera instead of in front of it.

“Robert actually gave me a cameo as a thug in ‘Sin City,’ and I thought I was so bad I actually cut my part out,” says the 40-year-old L.A. native. “I think I may be the only actor to ever cut themself out of their movie.”

Acting may be off the table, but helming was the next logicial step. Maniquis makes his debut as a co-director with Rodriguez on “Machete,” which opens Friday.

Revolving around an ex-federale out for revenge against the men who set him up, the pic’s cast includes Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba and Cheech Marin.

“Machete” originated as one of the faux trailers attached to Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s double feature “Grindhouse,” but Rodriguez saw enough material in the concept for a full-length feature. He also saw an opportunity for for Trejo to star in his own picture and Maniquis to step up to the director’s chair.

A history major who originally thought about getting into teaching like his father, Maniquis spent years moving from job to job until landing on the Columbia lot as a production assistant.

While driving trucks during the filming of the Jeff Goldblum pic “Hideaway,” Maniquis ran into Rodriguez, who was drawn to the young PA and asked him to come do the same work on his first studio feature-helming gig, “Desperado.”

Rodriguez was so impressed with Maniquis’ work ethic he invited him on as an apprentice editor for his next directing job, “From Dusk Till Dawn.”

Since then, Maniquis has had some part of nearly every Rodriguez production.

“I kind of came into the industry sideways by not really knowing anyone,” he says. “When it came to learning this skill, Robert was the perfect teacher because I learned about a film’s structure, how to put the story first and to always try to do original things when filming. I can’t imagine a film school being able to teach me more than what Robert has taught me over the years.”

Maniquis is one of a handful of below-the-line players to have recently made the jump into directing, including James Cameron’s second-unit director, Steven Quale, who will make his helming debut on “Final Destination 5.”

Maniquis says there were plenty of advantages of going from editing to directing but his greatest challenge was trying to figure out how to keep all the people in line on the set.

“I had this recurring nightmare of telling people to go somewhere and nobody moved and nothing happened,” he says. “With our low budget and small shooting schedule, I learned quickly to just keep shooting and always keep the momentum going.”

Maniquis credits the skills he gained as an editor with helping him focus amid the new challenges.

“It was a great advantage to know exactly where I would make my cut before I even shot the scene because of my time editing all these years,” he says. “I learned how each scene impacts the next.”

He looks forward to more directing gigs and more work with Rodriguez in the future, even if the two don’t always see eye to eye.

“He’s like an older brother to me,” Maniquis says. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve quit or been fired from one of his movies, so we fight plenty.”

Samuel L. Jackson, Kellan Lutz eyeing ‘Deathgames’

Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz are in negotiations to star in “Deathgames,” an indie action movie from Motion Picture Corporation of America.

Jonah Loop, a visual effects supervisor on such pics as “Collateral” and “A Perfect Getaway,” is making his directorial debut with the film, which begins shooting next month in Louisiana. MPCA’s Brad Krevoy and Mike Callaghan are producing with Mark Williams.

The story centers on a young man (Lutz) who is kidnapped and forced into the savage world of a modern gladiator arena, where men fight to the death for entertainment of the online masses. Jackson orchestrates the games, overseeing them from his computer lair with the help of twin ladies who see to his every desire.

Michael Hultquist, Robert Martinez and Tony Giglio worked on the script. Loop also did a pass.

“Deathgames” is the first project to come out of MPCA’s $50 million film fund, and the $10 million production is out to other actors. The company is in post on “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ and was behind last year’s Kevin Bacon HBO drama “Taking Chance.”

Jackson, repped by ICM and Anonymous Content, plays Nick Fury in “Iron Man 2,” which opens May 7, then will appear opposite Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in the action comedy “The Other Guys,” set for an Aug. 6 bow.

Lutz, who appears in the upcoming remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” next week begins shooting the Dermot Mulroney-directed romantic comedy “Keep It Together” opposite Mandy Moore. “Together” also is shooting in Louisiana, and the Innovative-repped actor will segue from that straight to “Deathsport.” In June, Lutz moves to “Immortals,” Relativity’s Greek myth fantasy in which he plays Poseidon.

Loop, repped by ICM and Zero Gravity Management, also is producing “Arena” at Summit.

Director signs on for ‘Cold Light of Day’

Thriller turns on kidnapping plot

By DAVE MCNARY

Mabrouk El Mechri (“JCVD”) will direct Summit Entertainment and Intrepid Pictures’ thriller “The Cold Light of Day.”

Richard Price is writing a production pass on the original script by Scott Wiper and John Petro. Story follows a young American whose family is kidnapped while on vacation to Spain, leaving him with only hours to find them and uncover a government conspiracy.

Steve Zaillian’s Film Rites has joined the project with Zaillian exec producing and Garrett Basch co-producing. Intrepid principals Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans will produce, and Kevin Mann, Matthew Perniciaro and Wiper will serve in a producing capacity. Spanish producer Galavis Film will co-produce, and Galavis principal Jesus Martinez will exec produce. Summit will distribute domestically and sell internationally. Project’s expected to commence lensing on location in Spain in June.

El Mechri directed and co-wrote “JCVD,” starring former action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Price’s credits include “Ransom, “Child 44″ and the TV series “the Wire.” Erik Feig, Summit’s president of production, and Michael Schaefer will oversee the project.

El Mechri and Zaillian are represented by WME. Price is repped by UTA.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179069/

‘Bodyguards and Assassins’ sells at AFM

By Patrick Frater

HONG KONG — Big-budget Chinese period thriller “Bodyguards and Assassins” has been sold by We Distribution to four territories at the beginning of the American Film Market.

E1 Entertainment picked up the film for the U.K. and Canada, while CJ Entertainment bought it for South Korea and Gulf Films took it for the Middle East.

The $23 million film directed by Teddy Chan is set in early 20th century Hong Kong with all the action taking place on the day of a failed assassination attempt on Sun Yat-sen. Its all-star cast includes Donnie Yen, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Leon Lai and Simon Yam.

” ‘Bodyguards and Assassins’ caters to the intelligence and appetites of China’s increasingly sophisticated and fast-expanding audiences. I am also thrilled that we have phenomenal response from territories outside mainland China,” producer Peter Chan Ho-sun said.

The film is already destined for a wide Asian release Dec. 18 with distribution handled in Taiwan by Applause Entertainment, in Singapore by MediaCorp. Raintree Pictures and Festive Films, in Malaysia by RAM Entertainment, in Thailand by United Home Entertainment and UIP, in Indonesia by PT Teguh Bakti and in Vietnam by Parkit Films. CJ will release the picture in Korea in January.

Production is by Cinema Popular, a joint venture between Chan, Huang Jianxin and Bona which was launched this year.

Cinema Popular also is shopping its action-romantic comedy “The Return of the Incredible Wu Xia Couple,” directed by Vincent Kuk, and Dante Lam’s period actioner “Flying Guillotines” at AFM.

Summit sees ‘Light of Day’

Studio to co-finance thriller with Intrepid

By DAVE MCNARY

Summit Entertainment has boarded “The Cold Light of Day,” agreeing to jointly finance the thriller with Intrepid Pictures.

Intrepid’s Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans developed the project over the past year and will produce.

“Cold Light,” penned by Scott Wiper and John Petro, follows a young American whose family is kidnapped while on vacation to Spain. He’s left with only hours to find them, uncover a government conspiracy and the connection between their disappearance and his father’s secrets.

Project’s expected to commence principal photography entirely on location in Spain in the early spring. Summit will distribute the film domestically and sell internationally.

Summit and Intrepid are currently seeking a director.

Intrepid’s Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans developed the project internally and will produce.

Spanish producer Galavis Film will co-produce, and Galavis principal Jesus Martinez will exec produce. Kevin Mann, Matthew Perniciaro and Wiper are also attached in a producing capacity.

“Cold Light” is the second recent addition to the Summit slate. The minimajor’s distribbing “Source Code,” with Jake Gyllenhaal in talks to star, for Vendome Pictures and Mark Gordon.

Intrepid, a four-year-old production and financing company, co-produced “The Strangers” and is also packaging an untitled David Prior project and actioner “The Couriers” for production next year.

THE CANYON – Movieweb Review

“Richard Harrah has crafted a sly little thriller that comes at you like a donkey kick in the kidneys. The Canyon is an intense, cautionary travelogue that offers up the best kind of nightmare scenario for any married couple. “

The Canyon is a tricky little beast. At first glance, it looks like a cheap indie slasher flick on par with Turistas or the recent A Perfect Getaway. It sets its audience up for a grizzly, old fashion “killer in the Canyon” romp. But it’s not that at all. And I doubt, despite its much-covetedHalloween release date, that you could even call it a horror movie. It’s the exact opposite of Couples Retreat, and gives any recent bad vacation you might have had a run for its money. Swift, tight, and packed with horrifying real life thrills, The Canyon delivers on the promise Chris Kentis’ Open Water failed to see through more than six years ago.

Richard Harrah’s film is the latest to crack open this unique thriller sub-genre, which pits an average married couple (meaning they love each other, but they certainly have some issues) against the elements of the wild. Like Open Water, it has a 70s vibe flinting sparks against a 90s aesthetic. Kentis’ film gave us newlyweds who drifted far away from their boat while scuba diving in the Caribbean. It was positioned as the adrenaline thrill-ride of 2003. While it was unnerving and well made, it never quite brought us to the edge of our seats as advertised. Those bickering newlyweds swam around in a shark-infested circle for eighty minutes before being eaten. End of story. The Canyon goes for the same exact same narrative loop, but has more to play with. Instead of sharks, we get wolves. And instead of drowning, we get our protagonists falling from great distances while trying to catch a cell phone signal.

Lori and Nick are a honeymooning couple who, against their better judgment, decide to spend their lovebird vacation at the bottom of The Grand Canyon. Usually, this would evoke memories of warm family outings and The Brady Bunch. Lori and Nick would have had fun riding those mules across this national landmark, too, had Nick not forgotten to register for his Canyon permit in advance. After the obligatory hotel scene, which finds Lori trying to convince her husband to stay indoors and enjoy the bed, the couple head out to a bar, where they meet a surely old coot named Henry (an absolutely fantastic Will Patton). This is where their adventure seemingly goes off the rails.

Henry is positioned as a dangerous element. He’s a man that’s encountered every horrible situation life in the wild has to offer. He’s been stung by scorpions, he’s fought a grizzly bear, he’s lost his eye, and he’s been struck by lightening more times than he can count on his remaining fingers. He’s fashioned after the old timer in Friday the 13th, the one that rides his bike screaming, “You’re all going to die!” He has the needed permits to take Lori and Nick on a donkey ride through the Canyon. Most horror tropes would have you believe this is the bad guy. That he is setting our couple up for misery and pain. Does he have some crazy cannibal brother waiting behind a rock to eat their brains? Is he going to kill and eat them himself? What, exactly, is this crusty pick-ax swinging faux-tour guide up to?

Not much, it seems. He’s a little bit drunk, but he’s actually a pretty decent fellow. And, yes, all of those above-mentioned things have happened to him. In spades. Which should tell you a little something about his luck. As the first day in the Canyon drags on, we come to like Henry Theodore Roosevelt Pritchard quite a bit. He’s a harmless mule hoarder straight out of some old Lucille Ball road trip comedy from the 30s. He knows his history, and he wants to show his new friends some extraordinary sights. Lori thinks this is a bad idea. Thus, we, as an audience, are forced to think right along side her thought lines. We know this can’t end up good. And it doesn’t. Harrah uses the beauty of his location, and a succession of calming theme music, to lull us into a false sense of security. Maybe everything will be all right. Wrong!

After an intense make out session in an enormous, breathtaking cave that can’t quite be contained on film, Henry decides to take his lusting couple off the trail. And that’s when all Hell breaks loose. The first shock comes at us like a bat-swing to the face, simply because we don’t see it coming. It’s not an over the top zombie raid, or some loose hillbilly with revenge on his mind. Its just nature doing what it does best, and it’s quite an awesome site. To give away much more would be to ruin the surprise of this well-timed thriller. Let’s just say some horrible things happen in an exciting fashion, and our heroes are suddenly lost without a clue on how to get back home.

Mules run away, rattlesnakes are eaten, cell phones die, and our heroes desperately need some Chapstick. What at first looks like another lame slasher flick quickly turns into a heart-pounding race for survival. Lori and Nick are figuratively swimming in dirt circles here, but there is a lot more trouble for them to get into than what is found in the ocean. All they have to eat is gum. They find an old Coke can full of sand, which doesn’t bode well for their directional sense, and Henry’s not feeling as good as he should be. Not to mention wolves are hunting them. As the sun burns into their exposed scalps, they become quite disoriented, and some excellent camera work by Nelson Cragg brings us directly into their mindset. Of course Lori and Nick are eventually going to get into a heated lovers’ quarrel. Which means one of them is going to do something stupid. Maybe not as dumb as getting eaten by a shark, but you get the idea.

The entire last twenty minutes of this film will have you biting your lower lip in a grimace. Its gruesome stuff that will send shockwaves through your nervous system. Because it’s all based in realistic shades of pain and agony. This could actually happen to you. It’s a cautionary tale at heart, and you’ll probably never want to hire a guide out of a bar late at night ever again. At the very least, you’ll wince and gnash your teeth together, while uttering a hurt-felt, “Oh, fuck!” Its not as scary as the other “doomed-couple” Halloween outing intheaters now (which would be Paranormal Activity), but this is quiet the fantastic little thriller. It comes as a huge surprise, and I can’t recommend it enough. Whoop-doo!

Management companies merge

By Michael Fleming

Mark and Christine Holder are melding their literary and talent management company Holder Management into Zero Gravity Management, the Los Angeles-based lit management company formed in 2003 by Eric Williams.

Mark Holder said joining forces with Williams seemed a good idea in the current crunch. He and wife Christine Holder built their firm over six years. They rep around 40 clients including writer Larry Cohen (“Cellular”), directors Andrzej Bartkowiak (“Romeo Must Die”) and Prachya Pinkaew (“Ong Bak”), and actor Scott Adkins (“Ninja”).

“Right now, you can hang on the vine, wither away and die, or you can do something to make a more powerful, multifaceted enterprise,” he said.

The Holders developed several projects with Zero Gravity and developed a familiarity with Williams.

Zero Gravity reps such directors as Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein (“Shelter”) and Simon Fellows (“Malice in Wonderland”), and screenwriters including Michael Johnson (“Sherlock Holmes”).