News Briefs: Grillo In THE DAGON, HARD MATTER and SKYLINE RADIAL; Cercamon Takes UN VARON; Raven Banner Picks Up THE SMOKE MASTER

• Not too far off from making headway with prison drama Branded, and with Isaac Florentine’s Hounds Of War, actor Frank Grillo has more film news in the pipeline of late with Independent Entertaiment launching sales for the Fall shoot of Brad Anderson’s The Dagon – about a family who must confront terrifying, deadly creatures that surround them every night when the daughter comes of age. Independent and CAA are co-repping North American rights.

The actor is also in tow with writer/director Justin Price’s Hard Matter with Tyrese Gibson and Harvey Keitel for The Exchange. The film is set in a version of America divided by quadrants, where a power-hungry corporation takes control of the prison system and criminals as the new law enforcers inflict capital punishment to reclaim their place in society. (Variety, Screendaily)

• Speaking of Grillo and following our December 2020 report, director Liam O’Donnell is expected to rejoin his Beyond Skyline and Skyline cast – namely actress Lindsey Morgan – for Skyline Radial, the fourth installment of the Skyline saga. Morgan will reprise her role as the heroine, Rose, who along with her crew confront the ultimate power of the universe in an effort to save her adopted father from a secret prison. International rights go to Screen Media whose Foresight Unlimited shingle will shop to buyers at Cannes. (Deadline)

• Dubai-based Cercamon will launch international sales on Colombian crime pic, Un Varon, from writer/director Fabian Hernández. The film, which will screen for the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes later this month as well as exclusively for buyers, centers on Carlos, who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogotá. It’s Christmas and he longs to spend the day with his family, and as he leaves the shelter for the holidays, he is confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, ruled by the law of the strongest – the alpha male – and must prove he can be one of them, while deep inside, these expressions of masculinity clash with the decisions he must make in order to survive. (Variety)

• Also making its way to the Cannes market is stoner kung fu comedy, The Smoke Master, which closed this year’s events at Fantaspoa. Hailing from debut director Augusto Soares and noted cinematographer André Sigwalt, the film focuses on two brothers, Daniel (Thiago Stechinni) and Gabriel (Daniel Rocha) who must train in a unique style of kung fu to face down a tri-generational vendetta by the Chinese mafia. Raven Banner has international sales. (Screendaily)

Lee B. Golden III

filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com | Web

Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.