Gina Carano To Wage THE OPIUM WAR With New Jobs Initiative For Upstate New Yorkers
Former mixed martial arts fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano has had a pretty steady career elevation in the world of action movies with a string of appearances in films such as Blood And Bone (2009), Haywire (2012), Fast And Furious 6 (2013) and her recent solo performance in John Stockwell’s In The Blood with actors Cam Cigandet and Danny Trejo.
With a superheroine movie also in the works from comic book creator Rob Liefield’s for Avengelyne, we still have tons to look forward to. But in the meantime, it appears that Carano is preparing to put her focus in a new film with production company, The Film House, set to commense at the end of July for The Opium War, following a press release in March posted by SUNY College Of Nanoscale Science And Engineering.
The film is being directed by Justin Steele from a script by Jeremy J. Levy and would join Carano with actor Stephen Lang in a story about a female astronaut who crash-lands and is offered a smuggling job that will pay for repairs to her ship. The new film is also part of an intricate new job-creating initiative announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney earlier this year with The Film House getting first use of SUNY CNSE’s Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries, the country’s first nano film school to provide training facilities and education for Upstate New York’s film industry workforce; In addition to the The Opium War, the move would also create an estimate of up to 500 permanent and temporary jobs.
“We are excited to announce our first of many major projects to be filmed and produced in New York State,” said Ryan Johnson, CEO of The Film House back in March. “We were drawn to the region because of the industry friendly environment and unique academic-private sector partnership model that Governor Cuomo has used to make New York recognized across the world as a go to destination for business. In New York, we will have access to a skilled and creative workforce, innovative new technologies, and the scenery we need to make quality films. We are eager to begin working with all our partners, particularly Onondaga County and SUNY CNSE, to make movies, create jobs for our new neighbors and communities, and do our part to enhance the quality of life in the area while we grow our business.”.
Carano is reportedly finalizing her end of the deal to star in the film. Meanwhile, Lang, who recently appeared in Steele‘s new crime flick, Gutshot Straight, will also return to epic intergalactic villany in the forthcoming production of the next three films of the Avatar saga with actor Sam Worthington and actresses Zoë Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.
Production on The Opium War is expected to last up to eight weeks with at least six months of post production ahead of its 2015 release.
Stay tuned for more info.
H/T: Syracuse