lionsgate

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SHADOW FORCE Casts Omar Sy, Joe Carnahan To Direct For Lionsgate

Lee B. Golden III

Boss Level and Copshop helmer Joe Carnahan will be back to direct another action thriller with Shadow Force for Lionsgate. First announced in 2019, actress Kerry Washington will now be joined by Lupin series star Omar Sy, who replaces actor Sterling K. Brown, as Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman reported on Friday. Nathan Kahane, President, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said: “Omar is at the top of his powers – combined with his global stardom, he’s ideally suited to co-lead this action-drama with Kerry, whose talent as an actress and a producer is unbounded. We’re thrilled to be working with the production team of Stephen, Kerry, Sterling, and Pilar, who have shepherded this story of a family in peril from the beginning, and with Joe, who will bring a unique, visceral style to the film.” Andreas Wiseman, Deadline Directing from a script Carnahan wrote with Leon Chills, Shadow Force “will follow an estranged couple with […]

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INVINCIBLE: Johnny Strong And Marko Zaror Go Head-To-Head This March On DVD, Digital And On Demand

Lee B. Golden III

If it feels like it’s taken twelve hundred years for Daniel Zirilli’s Invincible to finally see the light of day with a stateside release, then you’re not alone – particularly since it feels that way with a lot of action films. This one blipped on Japan’s radar back in 2020 from Shogun Films and I’m just guessing some of these releases have different cuts and edits to them, so feel free to fish ’em out if you like and see what looks like what. In the meantime, Lionsgate is finally opening the floodgates here with a release on Digital, On Demand and on DVD beginning March 8 with Johnny Strong and Chilean international action star Marko Zaror leading the way. At a secret military site, injured soldier Brock is treated with advanced nanotechnology that turns him into an uncontrollable killing machine. Sent to stop the threat, security agent Cam is […]

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WOLF HOUND: Lionsgate’s Grindstone Acquires WWII Thriller For Summer Release

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment Group has acquired the North American rights to the upcoming World War II action thriller, Wolf Hound. The film is debut directed by Michael B. Chait from a screenplay storied by Chait and written by co-producer Timothy Ritchey. Wolf Hound is inspired by the real-life Nazi special operations unit KG 200 that shot down, repaired, and flew Allied aircraft as Trojan horses, and stars James Maslow (Big Time Rush) as Captain David Holden, a Jewish-American fighter pilot, and Trevor Donovan (90210, the upcoming Reagan) as Nazi ace Major Erich Roth. Set in 1944 Nazi-occupied France, Wolf Hound sees Holden ambushed behind enemy lines, and must rescue a captured B-17 Flying Fortress bomber crew, evade a ruthless enemy stalking him at every turn, and foil a plot that could completely alter the outcome of World War II. Veteran Emmy Award-winning commercial producer Sue Witham produced the movie along with […]

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PURSUIT Gives Chase With An Official Trailer Feat. John Cusack And Emile Hirsch

Lee B. Golden III

The 2nd helmer Brian Skiba is back on our radar to start the new year as Lionsgate revs up the campaign for his newest crime thriller, Pursuit. Skiba directs from a script he wrote with Andrew Stevens, along with Dawn Bursteen and Ben Fiore, for a starring cast that includes Emile Hirsch, Jake Manley, Elizabeth Ludlow and John Cusack. John Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank) and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) star in this action thriller about a tough cop’s hunt for an even tougher criminal. Detective Breslin crosses paths with Calloway (Hirsch), a ruthless hacker desperate to find his wife, who has been kidnapped by a drug cartel. When Calloway escapes police custody, Breslin joins forces with a no-nonsense female cop to reclaim his prisoner. But is Calloway’s crime-boss father (Cusack) somehow involved in this explosive situation? Pursuit gives chase in select theaters and on-demand beginning February 18 from Lionsgate!

RIDERS OF JUSTICE: Lionsgate, 21 Laps Pair Up For Remake Of Danish Hit Mads Mikkelsen Revenge Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

English-language revisits of foreign films can be hit or miss depending on your tastes. Anders Thomas Jensen’s 2020 Mads Mikkelsen headliner, Riders Of Justice, was nothing short of the former, featuring the actor in a riveting revenge tale that now appears to be getting redeveloped over at Lionsgate along with Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps, according to THR‘s Borys Kit. Jensen co-wrote the original alongside Nikolaj Arcel for the story of a soldier who returns home to care for his teenage daughter following the death of her mother, a tragedy which he is then led to believe is foul play which ensues our hero’s quest for vengeance with the help of a discerning group of vigilantes. Sisse Graum, who produced the original via Zentropa with Sidsel Hybschmann, and Anders Kjaerhauge will exec produce, according to the report. “There are few films that balance the action, emotion, and dark humor that Anders […]

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THE EXPENDABLES 4 Lands Multiple Territories As Filming Commences, Adds Cast

Lee B. Golden III

Screendaily‘s Jeremy Kay is exclusively reporting the additions of Sheila Shah, Jacob Scipio and Levy Tran to the current cast roster of the fourth installment of The Expendables franchise. Directed by Scott Waugh, production reportedly began in the UK with a screenplay by Spenser Cohen – revised by Max Adams and John Joseph Connolly. The aforementioned trio join the mix of new and returning actors that include Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture, and actors Megan Fox, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Andy Garcia and international action star Tony Jaa. According to Kay, Statham is producing next to Kevin King Templeton, and Les Weldon, along with Yariv Lerner, Jeffrey Greenstein, and Jonathan Yunger. Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson and Trevor Short are exec producing for Millennium, as are Christa Campbell and Lati Grobman for Campbell Grobman Films. Eda Kowan and Jonah Leach will oversee for Lionsgate. JJ Nugent, Millennium […]

WARRIORS: Gavin O’Connor, Lionsgate Will Return To The Octagon To Spin-Off His 2011 Cult MMA Hit Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Director Gavin O’Connor is partnering with Lionsgate for a television spin-off based on 2011 sports drama, Warrior. O’Connor, whose credits also include Miracle and The Way Back, confirmed as much in an interview with Discussing Film’s Michael Slavin on Tuesday. The reveal for the new show, Warriors, came during a portion of the interview regarding movie sequel prospects where O’Connor expressed having difficulty on “how to do it and make it better than the first one”, adding further on “…I knew if I couldn’t make a better movie, or at least make something that had some kind of artistic merit that’s worth asking people to spend money to go see it, I just didn’t want to like fucking prostitute myself. And so I never was able to…” O’Connor continued onward, laying the groundwork for the show’s plot and citing that the characters from the 2011 film would be replaced with […]

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GHOST IN THE SHELL Returns to Theatres in IMAX

Edward Orndorff

Classic anime film Ghost in the Shell, which originally debuted in 1995, is returning to theatres for special screenings in IMAX. Announced today by Lionsgate Films, the film has special advance preview on September 16th, with public showings available starting September 17th. Ghost in the Shell is the story of Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cybernetic government agent. In the year 2029, Major Kusanagi and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are tracking a mystrious computer virus called “The Puppet Master”, which can somehow infect humans. With other agents from Section 9 offering support, Kusanagi tries to contain and capture the virus. Based on a manga by Masamune Shirow and Kazunori Ito, and directed by Mamori Oshii, Ghost in the Shell is considered to be one of the top anime films of all time, and remains a successful and beloved franchise to this day. It’s film sequels and anime series come together […]

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Halle Berry & Director Roland Emmerich Bring Large Scale Destruction In The First Teaser For MOONFALL

Director Roland Emmerich seemingly just loves to make films about massive destruction that could lead to the end of the world. His latest, MOONFALL, appears to not really dispel that notion. The film, which Emmerich also co-wrote is headlined by Halle Berry (JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM) and stars Patrick Wilson (THE CONJURING), Michael Peña (ANTMAN), and Donald Sutherland (AD ASTRA). It will be released on February 4th 2022 in theaters nationwide. The film’s official synopsis: “In MOONFALL, a mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit around Earth & sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact & the world on the brink of annihilation, NASA executive & former astronaut Jo Fowler (Academy Award® winner Halle Berry) is convinced she has the key to saving us all – but only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper (Patrick […]

THE EXPENDABLES 4 Shoots Up A Fall Production Start, Adds Megan Fox, Tony Jaa And More

Lee B. Golden III

Eleven years since making trilogy headway, The Expendables franchise will reunite Lionsgate and Millenium Media to shoot its fourth installment later this October with much of the main cast reprising its roles; Jason Statham is reportedly leading the cast this time around and will be joined by Megan Fox as the female lead, with regulars Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Sylvester Stallone, Statham’s Furious Seven cohort/martial arts action star star Tony Jaa, and Stallone’s Escape Plan co-star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson also starring. Stuntman-turned-director Scott Waugh (Need For Speed) is in line for rotation to direct following Stallone, and helmers Simon West and Patrick Hughes who directed the first, second and third films respectively. Waugh will direct from a screenplay Spenser Cohen, following revisions by Max Adams and John Joseph Connolly, with Statham and with Kevin King Templeton, and Millennium’s Les Weldon, Yariv Lerner, Jeffrey Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger all producing, […]

John Wick Spin-Off Series THE CONTINENTAL Sets Limited Event Series With Three Movie-Sized And Budgeted Episodes, Albert Hughes To Direct Two Episodes

Lee B. Golden III

With the fourth chapter of Lionsgate’s John Wick saga now filming and franchise co-star Ian McShane back on board as of Thursday for the role of Winston, all eyes of Wick fans are now on news that Good Lord Bird helmer and The Book Of Eli co-director Albert Hughes, will direct the first and third episodes of The Continental, a three-night event limited series which Hughes will also executive produce for Lionsgate and Starz. A prequel spinoff, Continental is set 40 years before the events of the Wick series and focuses on a young man named Winston. He will one day grow up to be the character played by Ian McShane in the Wick movies but in the prequel’s story is a young man starting as a hitman hotelier who, along with others, create a haven for unsavory types, all set against a backdrop of 1970s New York. The news comes long […]

DIE IN A GUNFIGHT Takes Aim At A Familiar Love Story In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Believe it or not, but this one’s taken a little over ten years to materialize since hitting the Black List back in 2010. At long last though, the work of screenwriting duo Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari can now get some traction with director Collin Schiffli’s Die In A Gunfight, releasing on July 16 in the U.S. from Lionsgate. A visually stunning movie with an exciting mix of action, humor, and heart, DIE IN A GUNFIGHT follows Mary (Alexandra Daddario) and Ben (Diego Boneta), the star-crossed black sheep of two powerful families engaged in a centuries-long feud. When Mary and Ben reignite an affair after many years apart, their forbidden love triggers a dangerous collision of schemers and killers. Fists and bullets fly, but maybe, just maybe, love will conquer all. The film also stars Justin Chatwin, Travis Fimmel, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Billy Crudup and Wade Allain-Marcus.

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Director Nick Stagliano on the origins & casting of THE VIRTUOSO

Nick Stagliano is a filmmaker whose work defies easy classification. His commitment to character-driven stories in an era of big-budget excess makes any new project from the writer/director worth looking into for film fans who enjoy thoughtful, contemplative stories regardless of genre conventions. His latest, THE VIRTUOSO, finds him applying his “character-first” mentality to the action/thriller world with a stellar cast in tow that features Anson Mount (HELL ON WHEELS), Richard Brake (3 FROM HELL), David Morse (THE GREEN MILE), Eddie Marsan (THE WORLD’S END), Abbie Cornish (SUCKER PUNCH), and two time Academy Award winner Sir Anthony Hopkins (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS). Here is the film’s official synopsis: Danger, deception, and murder descend upon a sleepy country town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic mentor and boss. Given only where and when along with a cryptic clue, the methodical hit man must […]

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THE VIRTUOSO Review – A Timely Thriller About Assassinations and Isolation.

Isolation is something every person has become more familiar with over the past year. Keeping distance from others is now more common than any other time in recent history. Deliberate rituals and protocols keep us safe from harm. Human contact is thoughtfully considered and weighed against the risk it causes. All those things have become the everyday reality for reasonable people as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be an issue worldwide. The world has become a little lonelier in ways it may possibly never fully recover from. I was reminded of all these things as I watched THE VIRTUOSO, a film clearly made before the pandemic but that still feels so deeply rooted in the shared trauma of the here and now. The story focuses on a meticulous assassin (Anson Mount, HELL ON WHEELS), whose conscience is weighing heavy after a recent bit of “collateral damage” from an earlier job, […]

BORN A CHAMPION: Nothing Hits Harder Than Life In The Official Trailer For The New MMA Drama Coming In January

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate is proudly presenting the trailer for Born A Champion. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery makes his latest screen presence following Shaun Piccinino’s American Fighter which premiered at the 23rd Fantasia Film Festival. American Wrestler: The Wizard helmer Alex Ranarivelo directs from a script he wrote with Flanery, and with an actor more than qualified to headline his own martial arts film given that he himself is a certified Jiu-Jitsu instructor. The result if the trailer presents nothing else, looks to be a touching, gritty and brutal underdog fight drama with some fair emotional punch to boot. Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow) and Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints) headline this powerful martial arts action film about the love for family and the drive for greatness. After a blood- soaked jujitsu match in Dubai, fighting legend Mickey Kelley (Flanery) falls to superstar Blaine. But years later, an online video proves […]

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SHADOW FORCE: Sterling K. Brown/Kerry Washington Action Thriller Lands Director

Lee B. Golden III

On Monday, the trades broke the latest on action thriller, Shadow Force with word that Victoria Mahoney will helm the pic. The project was subject to major competiton back in August before Lionsgate snagged the rights, casting Sterling K. Brown (Hotel Artemis) and Kerry Washington (Django Unchained) to star. Penned by Leon Chills and Joe Carnahan, Shadow Force “follows an estranged husband and wife with a bounty on their heads who must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer – a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them.” Made With Love Media’s Stephen “Dr.” Love, is producing with Washington at Simpson Street with Pilar Savone, and Brown at Indian Meadows Productions. Indian Meadows’ Danielle Reardon, Jennifer Wiley-Stockton and Katherine Atkinson are exec producing. Mahoney’s steady career in directing film and television, including – in part – epsiodes for Lovecraft Country, Grey’s […]

IRON MASK: Jackie Chan And Arnold Schwarzenegger Cross Swords In The Official Trailer For Oleg Stepchenko’s Period Fantasy Epic

IRON MASK: Jackie Chan And Arnold Schwarzenegger Cross Swords In The Official Trailer For Oleg Stepchenko’s Period Fantasy Epic

Lee B. Golden III

Nearly fourteen years in the making and through arduous production periods that finally gave director Oleg Stepchenko the first installment of his then-planned Viy trilogy in 2014, the second and long-awaited chapter has finally arrived stateside with Iron Mask (f.k.a. Viy 2 and Journey To China: Mystery Of The Iron Mask, among others). Lionsgate unveiled the official trailer this week as well, with a planed VoD and Digital release on November 20, and on Blu-Ray and DVD beginning November 24. The big seller? Less so the return of Jason Flemyng as cartographer Jonathan Green than headliners Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger duking it out on screen for the first time, in a film that brims with action star brio that might have otherwise been a welcome big screen feat if it weren’t for the idiot Covid-19 pandemic. Ah well, guess we’ll take what we can get. For the first time […]

Chad Stahelski

ARCANA: ‘Predators’ Writers Set ‘Gritty Urban Fantasy’ At Lionsgate, Chad Stahelski To Direct

Lee B. Golden III

Chad Stahelski has a great thing going with Lionsgate following the success of the John Wick franchise thusfar. He’s got television AND feature spin-off in the works, on top of two more back-to-back movies to culminate the hitman pentalogy, in addition to a new incarnation of Highlander, AND he’s producing a new take on CJ’s The Man From Nowhere for New Line. His prospects continue to grow this week and Mike Fleming Jr. at Deadline reveals one such property in Arcana, described as “a gritty urban fantasy set in the hidden world of magical clans”. Predators writing duo Michael Finch and Alex Litvak wrote the spec script which is now in the hands of the studio, and will exec produce; Stahelski will produce out of 87Eleven Entertainment with Jason Spitz and Alex Young will produce. More at Deadline. Photo: Anna Hanks/Wikimedia Commons

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LEGACY OF LIES: Scott Adkins Dishes The Action In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Believe it or not, writer/director Adrian Bol’s own venture into Scott Adkins action fandom with espionage thriller, Legacy Of Lies, took on a unique seven year journey of its own. The juicy deets can be read at MAAC, while Lionsgate is proudly dishing out the campaign assets, including the official trailer which first dropped at Polygon on Tuesday. Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2) stars in this pulse-pounding global spy-thriller. A decade ago, agent Martin Baxter quit MI6 after his wife’s tragic murder in an operation gone wrong. But when Sacha, a beautiful journalist, asks for help solving an old case, Martin finds himself in the crosshairs of both UK and Russian intelligence. Now, with his daughter held captive by the KGB, Martin has just 24 hours to deliver the secret case files — which means risking both Sacha’s life and his own. Legacy Of Lies will arrive in the U.S. […]

Jennifer Lawrence

THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES: Lionsgate Brings ‘The Hunger Games’ Team Back For Prequel Development

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate is moving forward with an adaptation of “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes”, as announced by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman, Joe Drake on Tuesday. Author Suzanne Collins penned the novel which is set prior to the events of her hit book series, The Hunger Games, which launched in 2008 and became a three-billion dollar success between four live-action films from 2012 through 2015. The film series also became a cornerstone for many a film franchise in service to audiences and fans around the world keen on young adult IPs, including Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight and Veronica Roth’s Divergent. The prequel will focus on the role of 18 year old Coriolanus Snow, years before becoming the tyrannical President of Panem. He is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on hard times, he sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he is chosen to […]