If a sequel to Red Billabong helmer Luke Sparke’s Occupation is what you were looking for, then you’re about to get it. The Aussie alien invasion sci-fi follow-up is under way in Australia with Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment signaling the film’s production at AFM with Sparke back in writing and directing.
Occupation: Rainfall picks up two years into the intergalactic invasion of earth, survivors in Sydney fight back in a desperate ground war. As causalities mount by the day, the resistance and their unexpected allies, uncover a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end. With the Alien invaders hell-bent on making earth their new home, the race is on to save mankind.
Daniel Gillies (CW series The Originals, Vampire Diaries) and Ken Jeong (The Hangover Trilogy, Crazy Rich Asians) are joining the film’s retirning cast from the first installment – Temuera Morrison (Aquaman), Dan Ewing, Stephany Jacobsen (Revenge, Battlestar Galactica), Aaron Jeffery (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Zac Garred, Charles Mesure (Desperate Housewives), and Trystan Go.
Rounding out the cast Lawrence Makoare (The Lord of the Rings, Marco Polo), Vince Colosimo (Body of Lies, Underbelly) and Tamala Shelton (Cleverman) and Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers, Sea Patrol). Filming locations span across Australia including the Hunter Valley and the Gold Coast with production boasting extraordinary visual effects by many world-renowned VFX houses, whose credits include Star Wars, Blade Runner and more.
Mother and daughter duo Carly & Carmel Imrie (Occupation, Red Billabong) are producing the sequel with next to American co-executive producer Todd Williams (The Nun, Alex and Me).
Monster Pictures is on board to release Occupation: Rainfall throughout Australia and New Zealand. The first movie was released previously in the U.S. by Saban Films and by Altitude in the UK, as well as by Gaga in Japan, by Ascot Elite in Germany, by Falcon Films in Middle East, by Smile in Scandinavia, by Flins Y Piniculas in Spain, by Aries in India, by Fox TV for Pan Asian Television, by Scene & Sound in Korea, and by Metropolitan in France.
Luke Sparke says: “We’re building a whole new world with Occupation: Rainfall. What excites me going into this is to jump into the action a few years into an Alien occupation – what’s that world look like? And how can we make it different from past films in the same genre? We’ve gathered a worldclass crew and are adding some fantastic actors to the Occupation family. It’s massive!”
Clay Epstein of Film Mode Entertainment, who sold the first film into the international market says – “We are extremely excited about the follow up to what has already proven to be a huge success all over the world. This is a testament not only to Luke’s talent as a filmmaker but also to audiences’ hunger for entertaining and well-produced films. With even bigger F/X and more at stake on the screen, Occupation: Rainfall is going to conquer the marketplace.”
Grant Hardie of Monster Pictures says: “We see massive growth potential for the franchise, the Occupation team did an amazing job with the first film so we naturally wanted to be on-board for the sequel. Working together we hope to deliver the biggest science fiction blockbuster Australian audiences have ever seen.”
Film Mode is repping worldwide sales rights outside Australia and New Zealand as it continues to rack up with its market slate, home to elevated genre films and helping to pave the way for filmmakers of all kinds per its m.o.
