Notizie

Dan Hamill joins ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ (Photo Courtesy of Starz)

Starz’s Spartacus: House of Ashur starring Nick Tarabay has added 12 guest stars to its cast. The much-anticipated new addition to the Spartacus franchise is in production in New Zealand, with Spartacus creator, writer, and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight guiding the series as showrunner.

“Spartacus: House of Ashur will be a history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit,” reads Starz’s synopsis. “The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance? And what if he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?”

In addition to Tarabay, the previously announced cast includes Lucy Lawless as Lucretia,...

Exclusive: Sundance documentary Never Look Away, the directorial debut of actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), has been sold by XYZ to Greenwich Entertainment for all rights in North America, and to Kaleidoscope for all rights in UK.

Both distributors have committed to theatrical releases in the territories. Kaleidoscope will also take over rest of world sales. The film is set to have additional screenings at SXSW this weekend.

The film puts a spotlight on the late, swashbuckling CNN combat camerawoman, Margaret Moth, who risked it all to put the viewer inside the conflict. When a fateful injury got in the way of her appetite for danger and adrenaline, she had a decision to make about her career and survival.

Pic was produced by Matthew Metcalfe of Gfc Films, Tom Blackwell and Lawless, and was written by Metcalfe, Blackwell, Lawless and Whetham Allpress. XYZ Films is executive-producing.

The deals for...

Beware! New Zealand is ready to hear the roar of its first “authentic” monster movie, “Taniwha.”

“If you ask any New Zealander what our own unique Indigenous monster is, they will immediately reply: Taniwha!” explains director Libby Hakaraia.

“In our Māori culture, they are very real: Every tribe has their own. They inhabit waterways, mountains, rivers, oceans and forests, and take many shapes. They are to be feared and respected as guardians, and they are avengers of wrongs.”

Now, they will also star in the film produced by Tainui Stephens and Desray Armstrong (Māoriland Productions), recently presented to the industry insiders at Canada’s Frontières.

The “monster thriller,” already in the advanced development stage, will boast the participation of Wētā Workshop.

“In the world of this film, Aotearoa [Māori name for New Zealand] had the world’s largest birds. The moa, a flightless bird over 2.6 meters tall and the pouakai, an eagle with a wingspan of 3-4 meters.

Exclusive: Actors Iko Uwais, Beulah Koale, and Kate Elliott have signed on to star in Ash, the sophomore feature from producer, rapper, and filmmaker Flying Lotus (Kuso).

The trio round out the cast alongside Flying Lotus, who will now also act in the pic alongside serving as director. As Deadline previously revealed, Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) lead the project, which comes from an original screenplay written by Jonni Remmler.

Production on the pic began this week in New Zealand, with Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films and Matthew Metcalfe of Gfc Films producing. Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and Echo Lake are onboard as exec producers. XYZ Films is co-financing alongside Ipr.Vc. Flying Lotus is also set to compose an original score for the film.

Plot follows a woman (González) who wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed.

Exclusive: Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) are attached to star in sci-fi thriller Ash, the sophomore feature from producer, rapper and filmmaker Flying Lotus (Kuso).

Paul and González will replace Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who were previously announced last summer.

Gonzalez will play a woman who wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. She must decide whether she can trust the man (Paul) sent to rescue her.

Flying Lotus is also set to compose an original score, with production due to start in New Zealand in May.

Based on an original screenplay by Jonni Remmler, XYZ Films and Gfc Films are producing, with Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and Echo Lake onboard as exec producers. XYZ Films is co-financing alongside Ipr.Vc.

Baby Driver and Ambulance actress González will next be seen in Benioff and Weiss series Three...

Tessa Thompson (Westworld) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Super Pumped) are attached to star in the sci-fi thriller Ash, which the Grammy-winning musician and filmmaker Flying Lotus — otherwise known as Steven Ellison — will direct as his sophomore feature, as we first reported in January. Neill Blomkamp (District 9) has since then come aboard to exec produce the pic, which its financier XYZ Films will rep for worldwide sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.

While at TIFF to meet with key buyers for Ash, Flying Lotus will appear in support of his segment of V/H/S/99, which is having its world premiere in the Midnight section of the festival.

The new film, for which the multi-hyphenate will also compose an original score, watches as a woman (Thompson) wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed, and must then decide if she can trust...

Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will headline the sci-fi thriller “Ash,” directed by Flying Lotus.

Thompson plays a space station worker who wakes up on a distant planet to find her colleagues viciously killed, and then forced to work together with the man (Gordon-Levitt) sent to rescue her. But as their investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events, the rescuer begins to wonder how innocent she really is.

Executive produced by Neill Blomkamp (“District 9”), “Ash” is based on an original screenplay written by Jonni Remmler. XYZ Films and Gfc Films will produce, with Echo Lake also onboard as an executive producer. XYZ Films is financing and handling worldwide sales at next week’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Flying Lotus will also compose an original score, with a production aiming to shoot in New Zealand next year. The multihyphenate will be attending TIFF to support...

Exclusive: Musician and filmmaker Flying Lotus has set the sci-fi horror film Ash as his second feature, on the heels of his body horror anthology Kuso, which made its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

The new film, for which the multi-hyphenate will also compose an original score, watches as a woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed, her investigation into what happened setting in motion a terrifying chain of events.

Jonni Remmler penned the original screenplay. XYZ Films and Gfc Films will produce, with Echo Lake on board as exec producer. XYZ is also financing and handling worldwide sales. Casting will get underway later this month, with production slated for this summer.

Ash follows XYZ’s collaboration with Gfc on Toa Fraser’s New Zealand Oscar entry The Dead Lands, which was presented to the U.S. market by James Cameron,...

Universal Pictures has debuted the trailer for the powerful documentary ‘Mothers of the Revolution.’

The feature-length documentary tells the story of the extraordinary women behind the Greenham Common Peace Camp.

Narrated by Glenda Jackson and featuring interviews with key participants including Julie Christie and Rebecca Johnson, alongside archive footage from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, Mothers of the Revolution takes you through one of the longest protests in history, when between 1981 and 2000, thousands of women from around the world came together at Greenham Common to take a committed stand against nuclear proliferation.

Forty years ago, these everyday human beings began with that first step on their march to Greenham Common and became the heroes of a movement that changed the world.

Directed by Briar March, the doc is produced by prolific filmmaker Matthew Metcalfe and Leela Menon.

Also in trailers – Full trailer lands for ‘My Name is Pauli...

The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on cinema chains across the globe, with protracted lockdowns, limited seating capacity, and delayed releases of Hollywood blockbusters sending the likes of Alamo Drafthouse into—and out of—bankruptcy and pushing giants like Cineworld and AMC to the brink.

Yet for Russia’s Karo Cinemas, the past year has hardly slowed pre-pandemic growth; at the rapidly expanding cinema chain, which is among the country’s largest, it’s currently full speed ahead. “We still have quite an aggressive expansion program,” says CEO Olga Zinkayova, who recently presided over the opening of Karo’s 33rd multiplex. “Our [plan] for the next few years is to almost double the amount of locations we have right now.”

The past year has underscored the strength and resilience of the box office in Russia, where despite a nearly 60% drop in total B.O., to $341 million, during a pandemic-impacted 2020, industry observers are...

Scott Walker (The Frozen Ground) has set his next project with The Tank, which will shoot in New Zealand in late summer this year.

Pic is the story of a young family that inherit a remote and long abandoned coastal property in Oregon. They don’t know that beneath the property, a horde of ferocious and deadly creatures that feed on the living are awakening.

Weta creative director Richard Taylor (Blade Runner 2049) is onboard the project. Matthew Metcalfe (The Dead Lands) is producing with Walker.

Cornerstone Films is handling worldwide sales and distribution and will commence sales at the upcoming Cannes virtual market.

Exec producers are Peter Touche, Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder.

“I’ve been looking for something to work with Richard and his amazing team at Weta Workshop on for years, and feel extra-ordinarily grateful to have the amazing team above onboard, to help bring it to life,...

“The Frozen Ground” filmmaker Scott Walker will direct creature feature “The Tank” at New Zealand locations in the late summer.

“The Tank” follows a young family who inherits a remote and long abandoned coastal property in Oregon, and awakens beneath it, a horde of ferocious and deadly creatures, that feed on the living.

The film is produced by Matthew Metcalfe (“The Dead Lands”) with Walker and executive produced by Peter Touche, Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder. Cornerstone Films is handling worldwide sales and distribution and will commence sales at the upcoming Cannes virtual market.

A Happy Dog Entertainment and Gfc Films production, the film is funded by Ingenious Media.

Five-time Oscar winning special effects supervisor and creative director Richard Taylor, of Peter Jackson’s VFX studio Weta, and his team will create the creature effects. Taylor and the team will create the creature designs and will work closely with Walker...

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Oscar-winner Richard Taylor to oversee effects for New Zealand horror.

New Zealand filmmaker Scott Walker is to direct creature feature The Tank, which Cornerstone Films is launching at the virtual Cannes market.

Richard Taylor, the five-time Oscar-winning special effects supervisor whose credits include Blade Runner 2049 and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will create the creature effects with his team at leading VFX studio Weta Workshop.

The film, which will shoot in New Zealand later this summer, centres on a young family that inherits a remote coastal property in Oregon. When attempting to repair a buried water tank,...

Exclusive: Libertine Pictures (Nz) and Slim Film + Television (UK)’s family action adventure series Mystic, has been recommissioned for two more seasons by Cbbc (UK) and Tvnz (Nz).

British actor Macey Chipping (Holby City) returns in the lead role of Issie Brown and is joined once again by New Zealanders Antonia Robinson, Max Crean, Jacqueline Joe (Top of the Lake), Josh Tan (Mulan) and Harriet Walton.

Production on the two new series, each comprising 8 x 30” episodes, is due to commence on May 31 in New Zealand.

In the new seasons, Issie and her gang of horse-mad friends will not only have to tackle all the usual trials and tribulations of being a teenager but will also have to battle against new and unexpected threats to their beloved stables and local environment. In season two, their lives will be thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a charismatic stranger and an...

Exclusive: XYZ Films has acquired North American rights to India’s Best International Oscar entry Jallikattu.

The well-received genre pic charts the catastrophic events that unfold when a butcher’s buffalo escapes and runs amok through a remote village in the hill ranges of Kerala.

The film, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, is an Indian Malayalam-language action film with a screenplay by S. Hareesh and R. Jayakumar, based on the short story Maoist by Hareesh.

Starring are Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad and Santhy Balachandran. Producer is O Thomas Panicker, and executive producers are Naushad Salahudin and Guneet Monga (The Lunchbox) who recently joined as EP, and is on board to help promote the film.

XYZ Films has also come on board in an executive producer capacity, and will be joining the team to spearhead the film’s Oscar campaign. The film is currently available on Amazon Prime...

Tagline: "Entertainment Knows No Boundaries." The Ringmaster is a Danish film, from director Søren Juul Petersen. Set to release internationally, this title has seen several film festivals in 2019 - including: Motor City Nightmares (U.S.), Horrorant Film Festival (Greece) and Fantafestival (Italy). Now, Jinga Films has helped bring the film to: the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, in 2020.  In the story, two girls are struggling on the nightshift with a terrifying show, streamed on the dark web. As well, this feature stars: Anne Bergfeld ("The Last Warrior"), Karin Michelsen, Kristoffer Fabricius, Mads Koudal and Kim Sønderholm. A preview of the film's latest set of releases is hosted here. The film's screenplay was developed from Steen Langstrup's novel. The official synopsis mentions the two girls held captive by a sadistic ringmaster (Damon Younger). Meanwhile, an offscreen audience will decide their next dark trial. The U.K. will release the film this November.

While cinemas worldwide have spent the better part of this year shuttered or operating at limited capacity, few film industries have felt the pain quite like Russia’s, which generates roughly 80% of its revenues from theatrical receipts, according to Evgenia Markova, head of the Russian film promotion body Roskino.

But while local profits have plummeted, Russian producers continue to find growing interest from foreign buyers, with Markova pointing to strong sales at Mipcom and at the Key Buyers Event, a virtual showcase for domestic productions that took place this summer.

“The Russian industry has learned to adapt to all the new circumstances,” she says. “It became more flexible, and more responsive to the needs of the global market.” A number of high-profile Russian projects will be introduced to foreign buyers during AFM, beginning with “Major Grom and the Plague Doctor,” a big-screen adaptation of the hit comic-book franchise from Bubble Comics.

Next month, Hulu will ring in Valentine’s Day with some counterprogramming. The streaming service will debut its original series “High Fidelity,” a gender-swapped reimagining of Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name. Previously, the book was adapted into a 2000 movie from Stephen Frears starring John Cusack. Zoë Kravitz stars as Rob Brooks, a music-obsessive record store owner in Brooklyn re-examining her previous romantic relationships to figure out what went wrong.

On the film front, the “Bridget Jones” trilogy, “Buffalo ’66,” “The Fugitive,” “Ghost” and “When Harry Met Sally” are among the new selections being offered in February. Releases from last year, like “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” and “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral,” are also making their way onto the platform.

New seasons of reality series like “The Voice” and “American Idol” will also be available to stream later in the month.

See the complete list below.

As the holiday season comes and goes you may find yourself dealing with a touch of the post-holiday blues. Never fear because Shudder has loaded up their schedule in January with lots of goodies. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. If your New Year’s resolution is to watch more incredible horror, you’ve come to the right place. January serves up an unbeatable lineup featuring The Dead Lands, a Māori supernatural action-adventure series set in a mythical New Zealand past, the exclusive streaming premieres of untamed Australian horror The Marshes and arthouse-meets-grindhouse masterpiece Bliss, and great new additions to the Shudder library that include two bold, inventive takes on the demon genre with Luz and Demon, and cult favorites like The Monster Squad and the restored Tammy And The...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today that its new original series The Dead Lands, a co-production with New Zealand’s Tvnz, will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, January 23, across all of Shudder’s […]

The post Trailer: Shudder’s Supernatural Māori Series The Dead Lands is Set in a Mythic New Zealand appeared first on Dread Central.

A warrior returns from death to make things right in the realm of the living in The Dead Lands. An original series from Shudder and New Zealand’s Tvnz, The Dead Lands will premiere January 23rd on Shudder and Tvnz OnDemand, and the official trailer has now been revealed, offering a look at the show's eerie, atmospheric action.

Press Release: December 5, 2019 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today that its new original series The Dead Lands, a co-production with New Zealand’s Tvnz, will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, January 23, across all of Shudder’s territories. It will also air on Tvnz OnDemand in New Zealand immediately after its international debut. Subsequent episodes will premiere on both Shudder and Tvnz OnDemand weekly.

The Dead Lands features a supernatural adventure set in a mythic Māori past, with an aesthetic that’s part Ash...

Here is something to keep an eye out for across the Shudder landscape in the new year.   Shudder has teamed up with New Zealand's Tvnz for a new original series called The Dead Lands. No, it's not related to the 2014 film by the same name. But it kind of is.   This new series was written by Glen Standring who also wrote that film. So if you like the film and thought the only way to make it better was to add elements of horror and humor then this new show is going to be right up your alley.    Shudder will premiere the first two episodes on Thursday, January 23rd here in Canada, the Us, the UK and Ireland. Shortly after that...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Katrina Bowden and Aaron Jakubenko.

Us actor Katrina Bowden and Aaron Jakubenko lead the cast of survival thriller Great White, which is now shooting in Queensland.

Scripted by Michael Boughen and directed by Tvc director Martin Wilson in his feature debut, the plot follows five people who are stranded on a seaplane far from shore.

Their challenge is to try to make it to land before they either run out of supplies or are devoured by sharks.

Bowden, who played Florence Fulton in The Bold and the Beautiful and Cerie in 30 Rock, and Jakubenko play the seaplane operators and lovers Kaz Fellows and Charlie Brody.

Cast as the hapless passengers are Tim Kano (Neighbours) as Joji, Kimie Tsukakoshi as his wife Michelle and Te Kohe Tuhaka (The Dead Lands) as the cook Benny.

In their second collaboration following Andrew Traucki’s survival thriller Black Water : Abyss, currently in post,...

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings working title has been revealed. The mysterious project is expected to begin shooting next month in Australia. It was announced back in March that Destin Daniel Cretton will be the man behind the camera. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige revealed more information about the movie when he announced Simu Liu as the star of the movie at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Since then, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have wondered about the details surrounding the project.

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings working title is Steamboat. As far as we can tell, it has nothing to do with the storyline or any of the characters, though that could change. Usually a production wants to go with a working title to keep fans from crashing the set and taking photos. This is especially true with Marvel Studios productions since...

New Zealand, which already has some of the most generous financial incentives for film, is to launch a fund to help develop feature international films and TV series.

The International Co-Development Fund (Icf) expands the current Co-Production Development Fund for official feature film co-productions. It will include the development and/or packaging of drama series official co-productions or series drama projects with market partners such as a sales agent, streaming platform or broadcaster.

The fund will become operational July 1, and be run by the New Zealand Film Commission. It will have an annual pool of $262,000, which is payable to the New Zealand partner in a co-production as matched development funding.

“SeeSaw and Jane Campion’s acclaimed ‘Top of the Lake’ and more recent series such as ‘The Dead Lands,’ produced by Matthew Metcalfe’s Gfc Films for AMC, [and] ‘Straight Forward,’ produced by Philly de Lacey for Screentime, all showcase New...

Xyz/Gfc handles worldwide sales in Cannes.

Production has begun in New Zealand on Dawn Raid, the documentary about the legendary Polynesian record label that forms part of Xyz Films’ Cannes sales roster.

Emerging from humble beginnings in Auckland, New Zealand, Dawn Raid Entertainment brought urban Pasikifa to the world, creating a stable for gold and platinum-selling New Zealand hip hop and R&B artists, and a global brand and legacy that resonates throughout Zealand culture.

Xyz Films will handle global sales on the Croisette under the Xyz/Gfc Films documentary division.

Dawn Raid will explore the history of the acclaimed Polynesian record label,...

‘Dying to Live.’

Illustrating the global appetite for on-demand cinema, Demand Film is growing fast in Australia and internationally, currently offering tickets to 550 events in seven countries.

Richard Todd’s feature documentary Dying to Live, which spotlights people who are awaiting life-saving organs, is among the best sellers in Australia, with 29 screenings now on sale and a further 10 being arranged in response to requests.

Supported by Screen Australia, Screenwest, Screen Queensland and Good Pitch Australia, Todd’s film has screened at the major Australian festivals, grossing $23,000, and it generated $7,500 from the first five on-demand screenings.

David Doepel, who co-founded Demand Film with Andrew Hazelton and Barbara Connell, hopes the film will end up making as much as $150,000 in Australia, observing: “We’re very pleased with the level of press we received for the film and the related ‘What would Jesus do?’ campaign, which is leading to requests for screenings.

“We...

"It's down to the negotiators to break the deadlock. Or, your men will have to storm the embassy." An official full-length trailer has debuted for the true story action thriller film 6 Days, about the attack on the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980. The standoff lasted for six days, with a group of Sas soldiers eventually breaching the embassy to put an end to the horror. Jamie Bell stars as one of the special forces soldiers tasked with leading the raid. This also stars Mark Strong, Abbie Cornish, Emun Elliott, Nicholas Boulton, Martin Shaw, and Tim Downie. 6 Days is the latest film from the director of the Maori action film The Dead Lands. This actually looks damn good, with an impressive cast that makes it worth watching. Here's the new full-length trailer (+ poster) for Toa Fraser's 6 Days, from YouTube (via Trailer Track): In April 1980, six armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate,...

Author: Scott Davis

A thrilling new trailer has arrived for 6 Days, the new film that tells the story of one of the most infamous days in recent UK history – and you can view that and the new poster below!

6 Days in the new film that chronicles the events that took place in London in 1980 at the Iranian Embassy when security and military forces were locked in a standoff with armed militants who stormed the building. Jamie Bell (Fantastic 4, Snowpiercer), Abbie Cornish, Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed), (RoboCop, Seven Psychopaths) and Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Miss Sloane) lead the cast of the film, which is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands).

The film tells the story from three people’s perspectives, all of which played a vital role in negotiating and ending the events as they unfolded. Strong plays hostage negotiator Max Vernon, the man...

In 1980, there was a siege on the Iranian Embassy in London, which led to a tense standoff between the Sas and the six gunmen inside. Nearly 40 years later, the story will hit the big screen with 6 Days, an action thriller from The Dead Lands director Toa Fraser. Ahead of a U.K. release this summer, the first trailer has now arrived.

Starring Jamie Bell (Snowpiercer) and Mark Strong, and penned by Glenn Standring (The Dead Lands), 6 Days was shot on location in Princess Gate, London for maximum authenticity. Whether this commitment to detail and accuracy will lend to a thriller worth your time is set to be seen, but it seems they’ve gotten off on the right foot. See the trailer below, along with a poster, synopsis, and set of images, with a tip of the hat to HeyUGuys.

In April 1980, six armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate,...

"He's got a heart of a lion, and the brains of a judge." Icon has revealed a trailer for an action-thriller titled 6 Days, telling the true story of the attack on the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980. The standoff lasted for six days, with a group of Sas soldiers eventually breaching the embassy to put an end to the horror. 6 Days is the latest from the director of the Maori action film The Dead Lands. Jamie Bell stars as one of the special forces soldiers who is tasked with leading the raid. This also stars Mark Strong, Abbie Cornish, Emun Elliott, Nicholas Boulton, Martin Shaw, and Tim Downie. It was shot on location in London, and around Knightsbridge. This seems to be just a teaser and quick intro, but it looks like it could be good. Here's the first UK trailer (+ poster) for Toa Fraser's 6 Days, direct from YouTube...

UK’s Icon Film has released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming action-drama “6 Days.” Directed by “The Dead Lands” helmer Toa Fraser, the film stars Mark Strong (“Kingsman: The Secret Service,” “Sherlock Holmes”), Abbie Cornish (“Limitless,” “Bright Star”) and Jamie Bell (“The Adventures of Tintin,” “Billy Elliot”).

Read More: ‘Baby Driver’ Trailer: Ansel Elgort is Coerced into a Life of Crime in Edgar Wright’s Action-Packed Thriller — Watch

Written by Glenn Standring (“The Dead Lands”), “6 Days” chronicles the events that took place during the Iranian Embassy siege, from April 30 to May 5, 1980, when a group of terrorists occupied the Iranian Embassy in London and took everyone inside hostage. The historic standoff ended when a group of soldiers from the British Special Air Service stormed the building in what was called Operation– Nimrod. The film was shot on location in and around London’s Knightsbridge, as reported by Screenanarchy.

Read More:...

On April 30, 1980 six armed men stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, holding everyone inside hostage for six days of escalating tension that played out live on national television with the Thatcher government eager to publicly demonstrate their hardline approach to terrorism. That real life drama comes to the big screen in The Dead Lands helmer Toa Fraser's 6 Days and the first trailer for the film's impending UK release has just arrived online. In April 1980, six armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate, London, taking 26 people inside hostage. Over the next six days a tense standoff took place, all the while a group of highly trained soldiers from the Sas prepared for a raid, the likes of which the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Louisa Mellor Apr 11, 2017

Here's the trailer for 6 Days, a London-set action thriller starring Jamie Bell, Mark Strong and Abbie Cornish...

Based on real events, new film 6 Days captures a slice of UK history. Thirty-seven years ago, a six-man terrorist team calling itself the Democratic Revolutionary Movement for the Liberation of Arabistan captured the Iranian Embassy in Knightsbridge, taking twenty-six hostages and starting a six-day ordeal.

See related  DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Batman V Superman: Michael Shannon fell asleep watching it Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman

Director Toa Fraser (Into The Badlands, Penny Dreadful) and writer Glenn Strandring (The Dead Lands, McLaren) are telling the story of that siege in the action thriller, which is due out in the UK this August. 

In 6 Days, Jamie Bell plays Sas leader Rusty Firmin, with Mark Strong as negotiator...

A seemingly indestructible force will come to theaters and VOD this fall, as Magnet Releasing has acquired Officer Downe for Us distribution beginning November 18th:

Press Release: New York, NY (September 22, 2016) – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to Officer Downe, the debut feature of M. Shawn Crahan (aka ‘Clown’), co-founder and visual architect of Grammy winning and multi-platinum band Slipknot. The film, starring Kim Coates (Sons Of Anarchy), will be released in theaters and On Demand November 18.

Adapted from the 2010 graphic novel by Joe Casey and Chris Burnham, Officer Downe concocts a hyper-real Los Angeles for the story of a savage La policeman who is repeatedly resurrected and returned to active duty via dark science technology. When a rookie officer named Gable is recruited as back up, he discovers there's much more to the titular super-cop than a mindless...

Exclusive: Feature version launches of hit book Capital In The 21st Century.

Thomas Piketty’s New York Times bestseller Capital In The 21st Century is to be made into a feature documentary as a New Zealand/France co-production with Piketty on board as a consultant.

Justin Pemberton (The Golden Hour) will direct the film with Mathew Metcalfe (The Dead Lands) on board as producer. General Film Corporation will produce.

Upside Distribution handles world sales. Transmission Films will release in Australia/Nz. Production is due to get underway in August of this year.

The film will explore the book’s subject of how capitalism affects our world today; the forces that govern everything from house prices in Auckland to economic upheavals on Wall St.

Presented without a narrator, the story will reveal itself through a combination of interviews, visual clips (movies, TV shows, training films, cartoons, pop culture references etc), original footage and the occasional news programme snippet...

While Toa Fraser's The Dead Lands was undoubtedly the first introduction to the traditional martial arts of the Maori people it would appear that it won't be the last. Not by a long shot. Maori Television is currently gearing up for the premiere of their new TV series Kairakau and, like The Dead Lands, it tells a tale set in pre-colonial New Zealand driven by tribal conflict and featuring rather a lot of traditional martial arts if the freshly released trailer is any indicator. Production values are gorgeous and the quality on all levels appears to be top notch on this one, check it out below!...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Production has begun in New Zealand on Welcome to the Thrill, an extreme sports action adventure movie starring Olympic freestyle skier Jossi Wells.

In the film, Wells takes up the challenge of new extreme sports in which he has no experience at all.

The film examines why adrenaline junkies do what they do.

It is laced with philosophical reflections ranging from Mark Twain to the athletes themselves.

Directed by Toa Fraser(The Dead Lands, Giselle), Welcome to the Thrill brings Fraser.s cinematic sensibility and narrative construction to the world of extreme sports..

It is the latest film from producer Matthew Metcalfe.s General Film Corporation and is his fifth collaboration with Toa Fraser (6 Days, The Dead Lands, Giselle, Dean Spanley).

Filming will take place in New Zealand, USA, France and Hawaii..

New Zealand distribution is by Rialto Distribution.

Fraser and Metcalfe are currently in post-production on action thriller 6 Days,...

Magnet Releasing announced that they have acquired Us rights to Ben Wheatley's High-Rise—the big screen adaptation of J.G. Ballard's thought-provoking 1975 novel of the same name. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, and Luke Evans, High-Rise is slated for a 2016 theatrical release:

Press Release: New York, NY – December 7, 2015 – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to High-rise, the highly-anticipated new film from acclaimed British genre-bending director Ben Wheatley (A Field In England, Sightseers, Kill List). The film, starring Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Crimson Peak), Jeremy Irons (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice), Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Luke Evans (Dracula Untold) and Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men), chronicles the savage breakdown of social order inside a giant residential apartment block. Written by Amy Jump based on J.G. Ballard's seminal 1975 sci-fi novel, High-rise world-premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

High-rise stars Hiddleston as Dr.

Transmission Films has formed a new venture to manage its film distribution activities in New Zealand..

Transmission Films New Zealand (Tmfnz) will be headed by Michael Eldred in the role of general manager.

He will oversee all of Transmission.s interests in New Zealand..

Eldred will work in close association with Sony Pictures New Zealand, the current home media sub-distributor for Transmission films..

Under a new arrangement, Sony will also handle the booking of Transmission.s theatrical releases under direction from, and in co-ordination with, Tmfnz..

The move consolidates Transmission.s activities in the New Zealand market, where they have been releasing films with various local partners since 2008..

Over the intervening period the company has invested in and brought over 75 films to New Zealand audiences, including such successful local films as Boy, The Dark Horse, The Dead Lands, The Orator and Slow West..

Tmfnz under Eldred signals Transmission.s major...

Since launching his career in Park City with the World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic winning No. 2 (2006 Sundance Film Fest), Toa Fraser has been mapping out his filmography with items such as Dean Spanley (2008), Giselle (2013) and The Dead Lands (2014). A true story from 1980, his shot in New Zealand June/shot in London in August fifth feature is an action thriller that features a stellar threesome in Jamie Bell, Mark Strong and the underused Abbie Cornish. Perhaps it’s time for Fraser to reunite with Sundance?

Gist: Co-written by Fraser and Glenn Standring, this is based on the actual events of April 1980 when six armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy at London’s Princes Gate, taking 26 people hostage. Six days of tense stand-off ensued as a group of highly trained soldiers from Britain’s Special Air Service (Sas) prepared to raid the building.

Production Co./Producers: General Film Corporation’s Matthew Metcalfe...

Exclusive: Roger Donaldson’s documentary is the second film in the official venture between Xyz-gfc backed by the New Zealand Film Commission (Nzfc).

Matthew Metcalfe and Fraser Brown produce McLaren, about the life and career of New Zealand racing car designer and McLaren Motor Racing Team founder Bruce McLaren (pictured).

The subject died in 1970, four years before his F1 team won its first Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.

Transmission Films will distribute in New Zealand and Australia while Xyz Films represents Us rights.

The film marks the return to New Zealand of Donaldson, whose credits include The World’s Fastest Indian and Burt Munro: Offerings To The God Of Speed, both about world land speed champion and New Zealander Burt Munro.

“My enthusiasm for making a film about Bruce McLaren comes from my long held passion for motorsports – a passion that was passed down to me from my father and grandfather,” said the director...

TwitchFilm has partnered with Magnet Releasing and Magnolia Pictures to bring you a couple of wonderful films on Blu-ray and DVD. First up we have two copies of Toa Fraser's brutal New Zealand Maori action film The Dead Lands. A film that our Jason Gorber very much enjoyed when he saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival last year:An engaging film with strong commitments from those on screen, the visit to The Dead Lands is both epic and intimate. Audience expectations should be tempered, as the film defies easy categorization, and those expecting a simple action film may be disappointed. Still, for those willing to take the journey, and who are willing to be patient as it tells its tale with a mix of...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

On May 5, 1980 an Sas squad abseiled down the side of the Iranian Embassy in London's Princes Gate to rescue the 26 hostages trapped inside. 6 Days, a new action thriller, tells the full story behind that raid and the nerve-knotting days leading up to it. These three new stills give a flavour of what to expect.Although character details are still underwraps, Jamie Bell is looking like he's either leading a special forces team or there's a bit where he goes on the world's most elaborate paintballing outing. Judging by the pic below, Mark Strong will be helping out in a hostage negotiation capacity.Shot partly in New Zealand and now underway near the notorious incident's actual epicentre, 6 Days is the latest from Kiwi director Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands, Dean Spanley). He's teamed up again with his Dead Lands writer Glenn Standring, with several former Sas members helping bring realism to...

First images of Jamie Bell and Mark Strong revealed.

6 Days, an action thriller based on the true events of April 1980 when armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in London and took 26 people hostage, has begun the London portion of its shoot.

The New Zealand-uk co-production recently completed its New Zealand shoot and will continue this month in London.

The action thriller is directed by Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands) and produced by Matthew Metcalfe (The Dead Lands).

The cast is led by Jamie Bell (Fantastic Four), Mark Strong (The Imitation Game) and Abbie Cornish (Limitless).

The film traces the six days of tense stand-off that ensued as a group of highly trained soldiers from Britain’s Special Air Service (Sas) prepared to raid the Iranian Embassy at London’s Princes Gate.

Following their acquisition of Fraser’s The Dead Lands, Xyz Films have again partnered with Metcalfe’s General Film Corporation (Gfc) and will take worldwide sales duties...

EW has our first look at Jamie Bell in full Sas kit in Toa Fraser's Six Days, his follow up to last year's Tiff entry The Dead Lands. Directed by Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands), the film concerns the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in which armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in London and took 26 people hostage. Bell plays Rusty Firmin, a member of the elite unit of the British army called the Sas that became famous for its involvement in the incident.There are also a couple images of Mark Strong in the gallery as well. The film is still in production. Xyz Films is producing 6 Days along with General Film Corporation. TwitchFilm founder and editor Todd Brown is a partner at Xyz Films. ...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Exclusive: Production commenced in Auckland on Wednesday on the embassy siege action thriller from Toa Fraser that Xyz Films sells internationally.

Jamie Bell, Mark Strong and Abbie Cornish star in 6 Days, which General Film Corporation finances in association with the New Zealand Film Commission, Lip Sync Productions and the Ingenious Senior Film Fund.

The story is set in London in April 1980 as the Sas prepares to rescue 26 hostages during the Iranian Embassy siege.

The New Zealand-uk co-production is scheduled to finish the New Zealand portion of the shoot in late July prior to relocating to London in August.

Producer Matthew Metcalfe of General Film Corporation reunites with Fraser and screenwriter Glenn Standring following their collaboration on the 2015 New Zealand foreign-language Oscar submission The Dead Lands.

The parties also worked with Xyz Films, whose Nate Bolotin and Aram Tertzakian serve as executive producers on 6 Days alongside Gavin Poolman and Andrea Scarso from Ingenious Senior Film Fund, Ian Dawson and [link...

Stars: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan, Raukura Turei, George Henare, Rena Owen, Pana Hema Taylor, Calvin Tuteao, Jamus Webster, Bianca Hyslop, Isabella Rakete, Matariki Whatarau, Wairangi Koopu, Jeff Ruha | Written by Glenn Standring | Directed by Toa Fraser

Hongi (James Rolleston) – a Māori chieftain’s teenage son – must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, led by Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka), Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious “Warrior” (Lawrence Makoare), a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.

I actually found The Dead Lands really entertaining. Not only is the film filled to the brim with crazy Māori fight sequences which look brutal and realistic,...

Action adventure The Dead Lands is in UK cinemas this weekend. Director Toa Fraser talks about its making and how James Cameron’s a fan...

A taut and intense action adventure, The Dead Lands is a superb showcase for director Toa Fraser. It provides an insight into a culture not often explored on screen - set in pre-colonial New Zealand, the film’s dialogue is entirely in the Maori language - while delivering the kind of pared-back revenge story you might expect from a western or a samurai film.

In other words, The Dead Lands is both unique to its country and universal; its historical setting and subtitles might suggest something for the arthouse crowd, but its bruising fight scenes will please the action crowd, too. What’s more, James Cameron is officially a fan.

As The Dead Lands makes its debut in UK cinemas, we caught up with Toa Fraser...

★★★☆☆ There's much to be said for genre films that strip things back to their fundamental elements and hit the ground running, shorn of all contrivances and elaborate special effects. Whilst much is going on in Toa Fraser's The Dead Lands (2014), it is primarily a lean and undeniably brutal actioner that claims to be the first film to truly showcase Maori martial arts. This is the case to a certain extent; it forefronts bone-crunching combat as it follows a young warrior through dangerous territory. Though it can feel a little one-note as times, spectacular landscapes and a drop of mysticism elevate this slick tribal thriller that calls to mind Mel Gibson's heart-pounding Apocalypto (2006).