Director Lyubomyr Levytsky is on track to deliver Killhouse to the world. The film is slated for an April 23 release marking Ukraine’s first tactical action thriller, just as the region remains in conflict with Russian forces.
KILLHOUSE is more than just a film.
It’s a new Ukrainian era and culture that we are creating together today.
It’s a story about those who save lives even when everything seems doomed.
This tactical action film by director Lubomyr Levytskyi is inspired by real events — the world’s first drone-led rescue operation, created in cooperation with and supported by the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The story follows a young civilian couple who learn that their 12-year-old daughter, kidnapped by Russians, has been returned to the temporarily occupied territory after negotiations involving Arab diplomats. A representative of the ombudsman on the occupied side offers them a deal: for $20,000 they can retrieve their daughter from the “gray zone.” Desperation forces them to agree.
After crossing minefields, a destroyed bridge, and avoiding enemy checkpoints, they reach a crossroads in an open field. One wrong turn toward enemy lines puts their car under heavy fire.
Their only chance for survival is a drone-led rescue operation organized by a brilliant commander, SOVA, and his brother SID, an engineer in the 3rd Assault Brigade. After saving one of the parents, they face a new challenge — rescuing the girl and her father.
Support comes from nearby special-operations units — the Defence Intelligence (HUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine — but the tension only escalates.
This film tells the story of a daring and inventive operation by Ukrainian soldiers that captivated the world thanks to the livestream of a well-known American journalist who happened to be nearby while covering the International Legion at war.
The star journalist must make a difficult choice: leave with the CIA special team that arrives to extract her, or risk her life, make a truly courageous move, and discover who she really is.
American UNITED24 journalist Audrey McAlpine reportedly plays herself in the film, and joins a cast led by Serhii Strelnikov, Denys Kapustin, Oleksandra Soroka, Valerii Velychko, and Karina Tymoshenko. The film’s cast is also comprised of real servicemen from Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Security Service, and the 3rd Assault Brigade.
Check out one of the more recent trailers below from a few months back, and feel free to have a read of Liubava Petriv’s UNITED24 coverage on the project from last October for even more interesting details about the new epic war drama.
