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Eight and a half years ago, Dimitri Logothetis rebooted the Kickboxer franchise by writing and producing Kickboxer: Vengeance, in which Alain Moussi took over the role of Kurt Sloane, the character played by Jean-Claude Van Damme in the original Kickboxer back in 1989, and Van Damme played his martial arts trainer Master Durand. That film was quickly followed by Kickboxer: Retaliation, which Logothetis directed himself. Seven years have passed since the release of that movie, and this entire time we’ve been waiting to hear when Logothetis was going to get the trilogy capper Kickboxer: Armageddon into production. Now, it looks like it’s finally about to happen. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Kickboxer: Armageddon has secured a U.S. and Canada distribution deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and is expected to start filming in the spring.

Logothetis, Rob Hickman, and Joel Shapiro are producing the film,...

Kickboxer: Armageddon is ready to hit the ground running.

The latest sequel in the rebooted Kickboxer franchise has landed distribution from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in the U.S. and Canada. This long-running martial arts film series first launched with Jean-Claude Van Damme playing Kurt Sloane in the 1989 release Kickboxer, which has earned a cult following.

Dimitri Logothetis is helming Kickboxer: Armageddon from a script he co-wrote with Jim McGrath. Shooting is set to begin this spring, with Logothetis, Rob Hickman and Joel Shapiro serving as producers. A planned release date has not yet been announced.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Mark Dacascos is joining the cast alongside previously confirmed stars Alain Moussi and Scott Adkins.

After Van Damme’s original film spawned four sequels in the 1990s, Logothetis has been instrumental in relaunching the franchise that returned with 2016’s Kickboxer: Vengeance and was followed by Kickboxer: Retaliation in...

Exclusive: Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) is attached to star in The Drowning Pool, a dark thriller from director David Hackl (Saw V), Deadline can reveal.

The Exchange is handling worldwide sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the Toronto Film Festival.

Set on location in the exotic Canary Islands, the film centers on the mysterious disappearance of American surfer Isabelle Gray. Although Isabelle is presumed drowned, her grief-stricken sister Katherine refuses to leave the country without answers, soon discovering that her sibling wasn’t the only woman to vanish into the ocean without a trace. With little help from local authorities, a stubborn and resourceful Katherine uncovers a string of progressively frightening clues, eventually leading her right into the jaws of an ancient ritualistic evil.

Colin McNeil and Daniel Minsky wrote the script. Joel Shapiro of magiCity Studios is producing along with Dimitri Logothetis of Acme Rocket Fuel, with Lee Broda serving as executive producer. Pre-production in the Canary Islands is underway.

Stated Nat McCormick, The Exchange’s President of Worldwide Sales & Distribution, “The Drowning Pool is a fresh and thrilling adventure story set in a dreamy vacation location, with a renowned international cast. We look forward to taking the plunge with our distribution partners around the world!”

An Australian actress who broke out stateside with a role in Netflix’s Emmy-winning series Orange Is the New Black, Rose has since then been seen starring in the first season of The CW’s Batwoman, also appearing on shows like Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Notable feature credits include Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter 2, Pitch Perfect 3 and The Meg, to name just a few.

Best known for helming the fifth installment in the Saw horror franchise, Hackl also directed the action thriller Dangerous starring Scott Eastwood; the Gina Carano-led Daughter of the Wolf; Life on the Line, starring John Travolta, Kate Bosworth and Devon Sawa; and genre-bender Into the Grizzly Maze.

The Exchange’s TIFF lineup this year includes Special Presentation title The Cut, a thriller starring Orlando Bloom and John Turturro, as well as Pierce Brosnan’s Wolf Land, Dafne Keen’s Night Comes, and Jennifer Garner’s Fruitcake.

Rose is represented by Atlas Artists and Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman; Hackl by Independent Artist Group; and McNeil by Housefire Management and attorney Marios Rush.

As the big-budget projects get delayed and studios attempt to secure a deal with the Writers’ Guild of America, some of the smaller films that work outside of the studio system hope to use their grassroots status as an advantage during these times. Kevin Smith recently announced that his production, The 4:30 Movie, was approved to film with a waiver, and his movie is intended to start its principal photography later this month. Now, the director of the Kickboxer reboot is now preparing for his next two projects, hoping to get a waiver to allow his film to proceed.

According to Deadline, Dimitri Logothetis, the director of Kickboxer: Vengeance and Kickboxer: Retaliation, is planning for the shooting of the conclusion to his trilogy with Kickboxer: Armageddon. The film is set to star Alain Moussi, who took over for the part of Kurt Sloane, previously occupied by action legend, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Exclusive: Veteran action director Dimitri Logothetis is gearing up to shoot his latest set of features, Kickboxer: Armageddon and Flying Shadow, in Mississippi and Malta.

Scripts for both were written prior to the start of the strikes, and each project is currently in pursuit of a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement, the goal being to kick off production for each in January.

Armageddon is the final chapter in a reboot trilogy based on the Kickboxer action franchise, which originally starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. The first film directed by Mark Disalle and David Worth, which debuted in 1989, introduced viewers to Kurt Sloane (Van Damme), who must learn the ancient kickboxing art of Muay Thai in order to avenge his brother. While later entries Kickboxer: Vengeance and Kickboxer: Retaliation would also feature the action star, he was absent through the second and fifth installments, with the focus segueing to Kurt’s younger brother,...

Germany, Australia, Latin America among regions sold.

Highland Film Group has released the first look image and announced territory sales on the action thriller Gunner starring Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth, which recently wrapped production in Alabama.

Dimitri Logothetis directed the film from a script by The Fast And The Furious franchise creator Gary Scott Thompson.

Hemsworth plays the title role of Special Ops veteran Lee Gunner, who takes his sons on a family fishing trip and must rescue them after they stumble upon a drug running operation and get kidnapped by the son of a jailed kingpin (Freeman).

Deals...

Exclusive: Mvd Entertainment Group has claimed North American rights to the darkly comedic thriller Wrong Reasons, marking the feature debut of writer-director Josh Roush. The film, executive produced by and featuring Kevin Smith, is slated for release on digital, VOD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 15.

Hailing from AntiCurrent Productions, Wrong Reasons watches as an ambiguously intentioned masked man (James Parks) kidnaps a drug addicted punk rock singer (Liv Roush) and triggers a police investigation headed by Detective Charles Dobson (Ralph Garman) as well as a media circus. The film also starring Teresa Ruiz, David Koechner, Daniel Roebuck, Smith and Keith Coogan boasts a punk rock soundtrack with music by Tim Armstrong, L7, Black Flag, The Wipers, Channel 3, William Elliott Whitmore, The Unseen, Bi-Product and more.

After world premiering at Smith’s first annual Smodcastle Film Festival in the fall of 2022, the Liv Roush-produced film...

Who is your daddy, and what does he do? In Joseph Baena’s case, his father is Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former governor and one of the most incredible action heroes ever. According to Deadline, Baena is joining the cast of Gunner alongside Luke Hemsworth and Morgan Freeman.

Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu Jitsu) directs from a script he co-wrote with Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious). The film revolves around Special Forces veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth), who takes his two sons on a camping trip. While roughing it, the boys find a fentanyl lab and get kidnapped by drug runners. Unfortunately for the drug runners, Gunner is highly trained, and you don’t want to piss this Papa Bear off in the woods. Stopping at nothing to bring his family home safely, Gunner unleashes on the criminal cartel, even after the FBI and local police get involved.

Joseph Baena plays Wally,...

Exclusive: Joseph Baena (Chariot) will star alongside Luke Hemsworth and Morgan Freeman in the action film Gunner, directed by Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu Jitsu), which is now in production in Alabama.

The film penned by Logothetis and Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious) follows Special forces veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) as he takes his two boys on a camping trip, where the boys stumble upon a fentanyl lab and are kidnapped by drug runners. Unfortunately for the drug runners, Lee will stop at nothing to get his boys back safely, going up against not only the criminal cartel, but the FBI and local police as well, using the full force of his deadly abilities to reunite his family.

Baena will portray Wally, a young, wet-behind-the-ears Deputy Sheriff. Pic’s producers include Joel Shapiro (Killerman), Logothetis, magiCity Studios and Acme Rocket Fuel.

Baena is a rising actor who has previously...

Production scheduled to commence this spring in Alabama.

Morgan Freeman is set to join Luke Hemsworth in the upcoming action thriller Gunner, which Highland Film Group represents for worldwide sales and will introduce to buyers at the EFM next week.

Dimitri Logothetis is directing from a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, whose action chops include creating the characters in The Fast And The Furious franchise and writing several instalments.

Gunner follows Special Ops veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) who takes his two sons on a fishing trip to reconnect. When the boys stumble upon a drug running operation and get kidnapped...

Exclusive: Luke Hemsworth (Westworld) has been tapped for the title role in Gunner, a new action pic from director Dimitri Logothetis.

The film written by The Fast and the Furious scribe Gary Scott Thompson follows Special forces veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) as he takes his two boys on a camping trip where the boys stumble upon a fentanyl lab and are kidnapped by drug runners. Unfortunately for the drug runners, Lee will stop at nothing to get his boys back safely, going up against not only the criminal cartel, but the FBI and local police as well, using the full force of his deadly abilities to reunite his family.

Joel Shapiro (Killerman) will produce alongside Logothetis, magiCity Studios and Acme Rocket Fuel.

Hemsworth portrayed Westworld Security Head Ashley Stubbs across all four seasons of HBO’s sci-fi drama Westworld and last summer returned for a cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder,...

Best-known for her action roles in “Skyscraper,” with Dwayne Johnson, and Simon West’s “Skyfire,” Asian star Hannah Quinlivan has joined director Jesse Atlas’s sci-fi feature “Soul Assassin.”

The film’s ensemble cast also includes Bruce Willis, Andy Allo, Nomzamo Mbatha, Dominic Purcell and Mustafa Shakir.

Atlas’ feature debut, “Soul Assassin” is described as a female-led, mind-bending sci-fi thriller. In it, a female former black ops soldier joins an experimental drone warfare program to hunt down her husband’s killer. When the technology is stolen, however, the hunter becomes the hunted.

“This is a groundbreaking genre film bound to be an audience favorite and an international dream cast of both veterans and rising stars adds even more appeal,” said Atlas, who wrote “Soul Assassin” along with Aaron Wolfe, based on their short film “Let Them Die Like Lovers.”

Quinlivan’s casting news comes as “Soul Assassin,” which is financed...

Gary Fleder has signed on to direct the espionage thriller “Line of Control” with Brickell & Broadbridge Intl. on board to finance and sell the project at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival.

Fleder, whose credits include “Runaway Jury,” “Homefront” and “Kiss the Girls,” will direct from a Ben Dubash script. “Line of Control” will explore the intense subculture of “K&r” as an American kidnap and ransom specialist fights to rescue the daughter of a U.S. senator.

Bbi’s Jeff Elliott and Joel Shapiro are producing, along with Cindy Cowan. Casting is under way and expected to be announced shortly, with production eyeing a mid-2021 shoot.

Fleder is currently in pre-production on “True Haunting” for Sony Screen Gems, which is also being produced by Cowan.

Bbi’s Jason Burke Sutter will handle international sales. Sutter, who was recently tapped for the position when Bbi expanded its operations, previously worked as...

Distributor plans 2021 release.

IFC Films has picked up North American rights to contemporary western No Man’s Land starring Frank Grillo, Jake Allyn, and Andie MacDowell.

The distributor plans a 2021 release. Voltage Pictures represents international rights and has engaged in talks with buyers at the virtual Cannes market.

Conor Allyn directed the Margate House production about father-and-son Texas ranchers whose lives are plunged into chaos when the younger man accidentally kills a Mexican immigrant’s 10-year-old son on vigilante patrol.

The man flees into Mexico chased by Us and Mexican authorities and tries to seek forgiveness from the boy’s father.

IFC Films is acquiring North American rights to “No Man’s Land,” a modern-day Western set along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The indie studio is planning a release in 2021.

Filmed in Guanajuato, Mexico, the movie was directed by Conor Allyn (“Walk. Ride. Rodeo.”) and written by Jake Allyn (“The Quad”), brothers who grew up going back and forth across the border. Jake Allyn also stars in the movie, joining a cast that includes Frank Grillo, Andie MacDowell and George Lopez. Alex MacNicoll (“Vice”) and Jorge A. Jimenez (“Narcos”) also star.

The film follows border vigilantes Bill Greer (Grillo) and his son Jackson (Allyn), who are out on patrol when Jackson accidentally kills a Mexican immigrant boy. Bill tries to take the blame but Texas Ranger Ramirez (Lopez) sees through the lie, spurring Jackson to flee south on horseback across the Rio Grande. Pursued by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales,...

Allyn family of Margate House behind project.

Voltage Pictures has added another sales title to its virtual Cannes sales slate, boarding international sales on the upcoming Frank Grillo thriller No Man’s Land.

The Margate House production shot in Guanajuato, Mexico, and centres on father-and-son Texas ranchers whose lives are plunged into chaos when the younger man accidentally kills a Mexican immigrant’s 10-year-old son while on vigilante patrol.

The man flees into Mexico chased by Us and Mexican authorities and tries to seek forgiveness from the boy’s father.

CAA Media Finance and Xyz Films are handling Us rights.

Jake Allyn Jorge A. Jimenez,...

Frank Grillo and Maggie Q will star in “Cutman,” a dramatic thriller directed by Michael Mailer and written by Tiffany Heath.

Grillo will play an over-the-hill boxer who begins working as the muscle for a local gangster. His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a young girl whose mother is a heroin addict (Maggie Q).

Michael Mailer Films will produce in partnership with Bluegrass Pictures, Digital Ignition Entertainment and Tremendous Entertainment. The producers include Mailer, Joel Shapiro, Scott Kluge and Alessandro Penazzi, and the executive producers are Angela Ceccio, Michael Clofine and Jeff Elliott.

Jason Sutter’s new sales division at Brickell and Broadbridge will represent international sales for the movie.

Grillo launched the production company Warparty with director Joe Carnahan in 2016, with the intent to option and develop material from a variety of sources, and produce between three to five films per year. The shingle’s inaugural film,...

George Lopez, Andie MacDowell and Alex MacNicoll have joined Frank Grillo in the modern day western “No Man’s Land,” sources tell Variety.

“The Quad’s” Jake Allyn, who co-wrote the script with David Barranza Ibanez, will also star. Conor Allyn will direct.

The story, which is inspired by the real-life “no man’s land” between the U.S.- Mexico border on the Rio Grande and the U.S. “hard border” fences to the north, centers on a father-son vigilante patrol that is thrust into chaos after the son, Jackson Greer (Allyn), accidentally kills an immigrant boy. When his father (Grillo) tries to take the blame, Jackson flees south on horseback, becoming a gringo “illegal alien” in Mexico. Pursued by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales, Jackson embarks on a pilgrimage to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s vengeful father (Jorge Jimenez), only to fall in love with the...

Frank Grillo and Jake Allyn will play father-and-son Texas ranchers in “No Man’s Land,” a modern Western drama from director Conor Allyn.

Allyn and David Barraza Ibañez penned the script, which is inspired by the real-life “no man’s land” between the U.S.- Mexico border on the Rio Grande and the U.S. “hard border” fences to the north.

At the center of the story is a father-son vigilante patrol, which is thrust into chaos after Jackson Greer (Allyn) accidentally kills an immigrant boy. When his father (Grillo) tries to take the blame, Jackson flees south on horseback, becoming a gringo “illegal alien” in Mexico. Chased by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales, Jackson embarks on a pilgrimage to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s vengeful father (Jorge Jimenez) only to fall in love with the land he was taught to hate.

Margate House Films will produce...

Puerto Rico’s film industry still is recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria, and now it’s been hit by a strike. Crew members working on a low-budget film called Selfie have walked off the job to protest what Iatse says is the company’s failure to pay crew members “over $100,000.”

“The Iatse is currently on strike against Selfie, Selfie Inc., in Puerto Rico,” the union said in a communique to its members. “All Iatse members have left the show to support the organizing effort. The company is currently and actively trying to re-crew Asap.

“According to their own accounting department,” the union said, “the production owed the crew, including our represented crafts/members, over $100,000.” Iatse advised its members that they are “not to render any services for this production” and that “travel to Puerto Rico will be crossing a picket line.”

The union says that the film is...

Exclusive: Fortitude boards satirical comedy starring Michael Caine, Odeya Rush, Katie Holmes, Jason Biggs and Seth Green.

Heading into the Santa Monica market, Us sales, production and financing company Fortitude International has boarded satiricial comedy Coup D’Etat, starring Michael Caine, Odeya Rush, Katie Holmes, Jason Biggs and seth Green.

Coup D’Etat has wrapped principal photography in Savannah, Georgia, and is directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse.

The story centres on an overthrown British-Caribbean dictator who seeks refuge with a teenage girl and her single mother in suburban America and teaches the youngster to start a revolution in her high school.

Addario and Syracuse wrote the Black List screenplay and their writing credits include Parental Guidance and Netflix comedy Divanation, which they co-wrote.

Defiant Pictures’ Lucas Jarach and Nicolas Veinberg are producing alongside Fortitude’s Robert Ogden Barnum and Nadine de Barros.

Coastal Film Studios in Savannah provided partial financing. Principals Jake Shapiro, Daniel Grodnik and Mary Aloe also served as producers, in association with Wysj Media, Hindsight Media and Altus Media, which also financed.

UTA Independent Film Group and ICM Partners represent Us rights.

Fortitude will continue sales on sci-fi thriller Android starring Aaron Paul and Olga Kurylenko, which will start shooting at Infinite Studios Singapore early next year.