marche du film 2023

FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE: Jeremy Piven Leads Supernatural Action Thriller Underway Australia, S&R Leads World Sales

Production is already underway for Fight For Your Life, the new action thriller starring Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”, The System). The film also features viral video star Jamie Costa. S&R Films has North American and world sales rights on the pic at Cannes. Luke Sparke (Occupation 1 & 2, upcoming Bring Him To Me) is directing from a script he storied, and is co-writing with Tom Evans, as well as producing out of Sparke Films. Piven will play a soldier who wakes up in a mysterious cell and is forced to face an onslaught of deadly opponents in an ever-changing fight arena – his only goal being to survive long enough to return to his daughter. “Fight For Your Life places Jeremy in a morality battle with himself and a slew of opponents in a vast array of settings. I was drawn to do this film and push my limits in […]

SRI ASIH: Shout! Acquires North American Rights For Indonesian Superhero Pic

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a long time coming, but Indonesian superhero adventure Sri Asih finally has a home with Shout! Studios set to release the pic on multiple platforms later this year. Actress Pevita Pearce leads the cast of the film based on comic author R.A. Kosasih’s 1954 creation. Sri Asih is only the second in a string of comic book properties to be adapted out of the Screenplay Bumilangit wheelhouse. It follows Joko Anwar’s inaugural actioner, Gundala starring Abimana Arysatya, with the third being Ody C. Harahap’s Virgo and the Sparklings featuring Adhisty Zara. Alana doesn’t understand why she is always influenced by anger. But she has always been trying to fight it. As she reaches adulthood, Alana discover the truth about her origin: she’s not an ordinary human being. She may be the gift for humanity and become its protector as SRI ASIH. Or a destruction, if she can’t control […]

HOME FOR RENT: Thai Haunted House Thriller Toplines EST N8 Film Partnership In North America

Lee B. Golden III

Haunted house thriller, Home For Rent, is the latest genre pic from director Sophon Sakdaphisit. Produced by New York and Bangkok-based N8 Studios, and by GDH, the film has been released throughout Asia and will soon make landfall in cinemas in Latin America. Ning and Kwin are a couple with a 7-year-old daughter, Ing. The three of them decide to move to a condo room and rent out their house to two tenants: Ratree, a retired doctor, and her 40-year-old daughter, Nuch. After the new tenants have moved in, Ning notices that Kwin begins to exhibit unusual behavior. He becomes secretive and often disappears from the condo at 4 a.m. Kwin even sports a triangle-shaped tattoo – the same design as Nuch’s. As her husband’s behavior becomes more and more disturbing, Ning also realizes that her daughter is being preyed on by some unseen sinister force. She has to do […]

NORYANG: DEADLY SEA Lands Ashore At Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

One other piece of news out of Cannes over the weekend came by way of Screendaily with director Kim Han-min’s Noryang: Deadly Sea having been snapped up by Well Go USA among its aquisitions. The film is the third in the director’s Roaring Currents Trilogy telling of Joseon admiral Yi Sun-shin, which began with 2014’s Roaring Currents which starred Choi Min-sik. The film’s box office success persisted a franchise that continued with last year’s Hansan: Rising Dragon with Park Hae-il in the lead. In 1598, the seven-year Imjin War nears an end as Wae invaders prepare to withdraw from Joseon. Admiral Yi Sun-shin leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming ships to annihilate the Wae army. Joseon, Ming, and Wae forces clash at Noryang Strait, the deadly sea where Admiral Yi fights his last valiant battle. Baek Yoon-sik, Jung Jae-young and Huh Joon-ho also star for the third and […]

TYRANT: Details On New Action Thriller From ‘The Witch’ And ‘The Childe’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

At this point all I really want is my threequel to The Witch franchise, and as long as Park Hoon-jung is back for a third time to direct it, I’ve got no complaints. In the meantime, I’m perfectly fine with another gritty, modern actioner out of South Korea from the celebrated Night In Paradise director who is now under way with Tyrant, as Acemaker Movieworks handles international sales. A covert program called ‘The Tyrant Project’ that was carried out in Korea is uncovered by the US intelligence agency, which orders the Korean counterpart to immediately shut down. The project is dismantled and is about to be handed over to the US but an accident takes place during the handoff. Operation staff Ja-kyung and Mo-yong successfully hijack the program sample as per Director Choi’s order. US intelligence agent Paul finds out about the accident and decides to retrieve the sample himself. […]

SLEEPING DOGS: Check Out Russell Crowe And Tommy Flanagan In A First Look At The New Crime Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Adam Cooper’s crime thriller debut, Sleeping Dogs, gets a first look this weekend out of Cannes as Highland Film Group and Nickel City Pictures handle world sales. The new photo features Russell Crowe and Tommy Flanagan who lead the cast from a script by Cooper and co-scribe Bill Collage (Assassins Creed, Exodus: Gods and Kings). Adapted frim E.O. Chirovici’s critically acclaimed novel, “The Book of Mirrors,” Crowe plays ex-homicide detective Roy Freeman. In the wake of a cutting-edge Alzheimer’s treatment, Freeman is tasked with re-examining a brutal murder case from his past – the grisly murder of a college professor. Intrigued and fighting to regain his memory, Roy enlists his former partner (Flanagan) to help him revive the investigation. This time though, things unfold very differently when they encounter a magnetic and mysterious woman: as he uncovers a tangled web of contradictions and secrets, Roy is forced to face a […]

OLD GUY: Christoph Waltz Is A Killer Mentor In A First Look At The New Action Comedy

Lee B. Golden III

Highland Film Group is proudly unveiling a first look at Spectre actor Christoph Waltz and Cooper Hoffman of Licorice Pizza in Old Guy, the new action comedy from director Simon West. Hoffman joined Shazam! Fury of the Gods actress Lucy Liu in casting announcements on Friday for the film which recently wrapped in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Waltz plays Danny Dolinski, an aging contract killer who still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck at a dead end but vying for the love of club manager Anata (Liu), Danny is thrilled when The Company pulls him back in the field, but only to train Gen Z newcomer Wihlborg (Hoffman), a prodigy assassin with an attitude. The mismatched pair is asked to eliminate top members of a competing crime syndicate and, in the process, uncover their employer’s true motive: removing the old guard in a full takeover. However, The Company […]

MISS SHAMPOO Trailer Reveals The Latest From Director Giddens Ko

Lee B. Golden III

The first trailer has arrived for Miss Shampoo, a new romantic gangster comedy out of Taiwan from Mon Mon Mon Monsters and You Are The Apple Of My Eye helmer Giddens Ko. Brunson E&A is currently selling the pic at Cannes via TAICCA Taiwan Pavillion, with a cast led by Vivian Sung, Daniel Hong and Kai Ko. The least innocent romantic comedy this year. Thanks to Feng, Tai barely escaped alive and took over the mafia boss position. Along with his two buddies, Leggy and Fish, they tried to find the murderer of the former boss, while Tai also tried to repay his debt to Feng. Meanwhile, Tai sensed that there was a traitor among his gang. Despite her youth, Feng showed no fear when facing the gangsters, which intrigued Tai. So, to repay her, he ordered all the gang members to have their hair done by Feng. Suddenly, Feng […]

RANSOMED: Well Go USA Snaps Up New Kidnapping Thriller From ‘A Hard Day’ And ‘Tunnel’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Set to arrive in South Korean cinemas sometime possibly in August is Ransomed, a new ripped-from-the-headlines thriller from director Kim Sung-hoon. In the meantime, reports out of Cannes have revealed acquisition for North America by Well Go USA, among a raft of pre-sales for other distributors at the market place, according to Screendaily’s Jean Noh. A YOUNG DIPLOMAT IS ASSIGNED THE TASK OF CARRYING THE RANSOM MONEY TO RESCUE AN ABDUCTED DIPLOMAT In Beirut 1986, during the Lebanese civil war, a Korean diplomat is taken hostage without a trace. Two years pass and long forgotten, a young diplomat Min-jun receives a phone call proving that the hostage is still alive. With the given mission, Min-jun is sent to Beirut to save the hostage with a bag of ransom money. However, Min-jun gets into trouble as soon as he sets foot in Beirut. As luck would have it, Minjun manages to […]

FLASH POINT 2 And IP MAN 5 Among Three Donnie Yen Actioners Announced At Cannes

Lee B. Golden III

Movie projects get announced all the time, and some get left on the backburner for years only to circle other directors and stars or never get made at all. That too, has been the case for action star Donnie Yen, and so as always, time will tell if the three action films revealed by Mandarin Motion Pictures at the Cannes market said to feature Yen will come to fruition. According to Screendaily’s Jean Noh, the trio of titles are Flash Point: Resurgence, Ip Man 5, and Misjudgement, and there are no directors and other stars or updates in the mix as of yet. Wilson Yip directed all four Ip Man movies leading up to Ip Man: The Finale, pitting Yen with action star Scott Adkins in the years that would see the two converge on the set of Lionsgate’s hit release, John Wick: Chapter 4. The franchise has since taken […]

IN COLD LIGHT: XYZ Films At Cannes, Cast Announced For New Crime Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Maika Monroe and Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur have been cast as leads in the crime thriller, In Cold Light. Maxime Giroux (Félix et Meira, The Great Darkened Days) will make his first English-speaking feature, with Kotsur debuting in his first feature role following Sian Heder’s Coda. Here is the logline: “Ava is trapped. Like a bull in a bucking chute, seconds before exploding onto the rodeo stage. She is hunted. Pursued by those who killed her brother, pursued by her own demons. Ava needs to make a choice. To either save herself and fight another day or to push and become the woman she wishes she could be.” In the film, Monroe will play Kotsur’s daughter. Giroux will direct from a script by Patrick Whistler. Mike MacMillan (Mobile Homes) and Yanick Letourneau (Night Of The Kings) are producing, with Jean-Yves Roubin (Titane) co-producing. XYZ Films is exec producing and financing […]

A LEGEND Sales Art Takes The Floor At The Cannes Market For Jackie Chan Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Distribution Workshop is on hand at the Marche du Film repping world sales on A Legend, the latest $50M sequel fervor reuniting director Stanley Tong with actor Jackie Chan. Bits of news from around the web have all but confirmed its existence with set photos currently circulating, while news out of Cannes sorts of officiates things, in addition to key sales art which you can view at the bottom. Professor Chen, an archaeology expert, notices that the texture on the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition is strikingly similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams. It seems as that the pendant is connecting the realm of dreams to reality. Filled with curiosity, Professor Chen leads the research team on a journey deep into the Glacier Temple, in search of the truth behind his dreams, embarking on a fantastical adventure together. A Legend marks […]

PROJECT SILENCE Trailer: Kim Tae-Gon’s Cannes-Selected Thriller Teases A Bridge To Ruin!

Lee B. Golden III

The official trailer arrived this week for Project Silence, signaling another entry in the Cannes arena for screenings and sales activity. Fourth time director Kim Tae-gon also penned the script for the pic which screens Out Of Competition for the festival. Stranded on the Airport Bridge on the verge of collapsing, all survivors become targets! Due to sudden deteriorating weather conditions, visibility on the Airport Bridge is severely impaired, leaving people stranded and at risk of the bridge collapsing due to a series of chain collisions and explosions. Amidst the chaos, the canine subjects “Echo” from the military experiment “Project Silence,” who were being transported in secret, break free, and all human survivors become targets of relentless attacks. Various individuals find themselves stranded on the Airport Bridge for different reasons – a government official from the presidential office (LEE Sun Kyun) who was seeing off his daughter (KIM Su An) […]

MERCY ROAD Leads To Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

Chappaquiddick and The Painted Veil helmer John Curran’s new psychological thriller, Mercy Road, has been acquired by Well Go USA for release in late 2023 from Arclight Films. Curran directed from a script by Chris Pelletier and Jesse Heffring. Mercy Road stars Luke Bracey (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, One True Loves), and is described as “a tense, psychological thriller about a flawed everyman who commits an impulsive and vicious crime. In this ultimate journey to redemption, he soon learns just how far he is willing to go to save his child.” Also starring are Susie Porter (Netflix’s Cargo) and Huw Higginson (IFC Films’ The Nightingale), and acclaimed stage and screen actor Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, First Cow, Happy End). Doris Pfardrescher, President and CEO at Well Go USA negotiated the deal on behalf of the company with Ryan Hamilton from Arclight Films. Arclight is handling international rights and jointly […]

‘Mulan’ Stunt Double Starring In New Kung Fu Feature From ‘Freaks VS. The Reich’ Director

‘Mulan’ Stunt Double Starring In New Kung Fu Feature From ‘Freaks Out’ Director Gabriele Mainetti

Lee B. Golden III

What you’re seeing above is proof that stunt performer Liu Yaxi is the real deal on the action front, as she’s done accordingly for lead actress Crystal Liu on Disney’s live-action Mulan. Her latest move now brings her talents to Rome’s Piazza Vittorio quarter set in Italy for a title-TBA kung fu movie, now filming from They Call Me Jeeg and Freaks Out director Gabiele Mainetti. Details from Variety’s Nick Vivarelli: Set in the cosmopolitan melting pot of Rome’s Piazza Vittorio hood, Mainetti’s latest work will see two very different souls intersect. One is the son of an indebted local restaurant owner who disappeared with his lover. The other is a young mysterious woman who has just arrived in the Italian capital in search of her missing sister. “United by fate, the two will find themselves catapulted into the slums of Rome’s criminal underbelly,” reads the synopsis. “To survive they […]

Screenshot_20230516-093656_Samsung Internet

100 YARDS Reveals New Look At Jacky Heung In The Official Sales Art For Upcoming Martial Arts Drama

Lee B. Golden III

If it helps us stay sane for a little while longer, then yes, perhaps I’ll share the sales key art for 100 Yards, the latest martial arts drama from directing duo Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng which, until recently, only had a regional Mandarin-language title. Fortissimo Films shared the ink on its website as the latest piece of imagery following several stills that have made the rounds in the past year and spotlighting leading men Jacky Heung (Chasing Dream) and Andy On (Ride On). 1920s Tianjin, northern China. The son of a martial arts master and his most talented apprentice fight to take over a prominent martial arts academy. But rather than obey the rule of settling disputes behind closed doors, they take their fight to the street. The film is also produced by Heung and co-stars Taiwanese actor Bea Hayden Kuo (Kung Fu Monster), Tang Shiyi (The Day We […]

GUNNER: Hemsworth And Freeman Featured In First Look As Deals Land At Cannes

Lee B. Golden III

Highland Film Group has locked distribution deals in key international territories for action thriller Gunner. The new film is directed by Dimitri Logothetis from a script by Gary Scott Thompson. Gunner follows Special Ops veteran Lee Gunner (Luke Hemsworth) who takes his two sons on a fishing trip to reconnect. The trip soon turns awry when the boys stumble upon a massive drug running operation and are kidnapped by Dobbs, the son of the gang’s kingpin Kendric Ryker (Morgan Freeman) who runs the organization from prison. With no one but himself to retaliate and with elite combat skills they won’t see coming, an enraged Gunner wreaks havoc to rescue his two sons from Ryker’s gang. You don’t cross Gunner! The deals sealed this week include Daro Film Distribution for Germany and Eastern Europe, Premiere TV Distribution for Benelux, Spentzos Film for Greece, IIF for Italy, NOS Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, […]

DEEP WATER: Renny Harlin To Direct New Survival Thriller Launching New Film Pact For Cannes Sales

Lee B. Golden III

Bodies at Rest and The Misfits helmer Renny Harlin will direct new survival thriller Deep Water later this year. The film marks the launchpad of Simmons/Hamilton Productions (w/t), partnering KISS rock band member Gene Simmons and Arclight Films Chairman Gary Hamilton. Deep Water will tell the adventurous tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from LA to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage. Simmons and Hamilton are producing alongside Arclight’s Ying Ye and Rob Van Norden (Martin Campbell’s The Protégé). Arclight is launching worldwide sales at the Marché du Film, and “expects this action epic to create a feeding frenzy among the international buyers,” a statement reads. “I’ve had my […]

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THE KILLER’S GAME: J.J. Perry To Direct Novel Adaptation Starring Dave Bautista, Lionsgate Launching Cannes Sales

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been more than twenty years for any move to cinema with Jay Boninsaga’s 1997 novel, The Killer’s Game. The film finally has a home with Lionsgate launching international sales for the adaptation which now has stunt professional and second unit director J.J. Perry lined-up to direct his second feature since Netflix hit vampire actioner, Day Shift with Jamie Foxx. Filming begins this summer for Perry with Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise actor Dave Bautista starring as Joe Flood as a principled veteran assassin who learns he is dying. Thinking his days are numbered and refusing suicide as it goes against his Catholic principles, he stakes a multi-million dollar prize on his own life, only to realize two things: One – that he’s been misdiagnosed and is still in perfect health, and Two – his girlfriend is preganant. Now the two will have to race across Europe in order to […]

TAKEN FROM RIO BRAVO: Catch The Trailer For The New Western Sequel Starring Alexander Nevsky And Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and producer Alexander Nevsky’s latest turn in Western genre thrills has some trailer treatment making the rounds for Taken From Rio Bravo, the sequel to last year’s Shout! release, Gunfight At Rio Bravo. Both films feature Nevsky in the role of Russian-born John Basil Turchin, former U.S. Civil War officer-turned-gunslinger and lawman, with Joe Cornet directing and co-starring. The new and second chapter sees the return of the mysterious Russian gunslinger who teams up with Sheriff Vernon Kelly (Cornet) in pursuit of a gang of sadistic human traffickers known as The Posse, who have kidnapped five women. Cast also includes a mix of new and returning actors: action icons Cynthia Rothrock, Matthias Hues and Don “The Dragon” Wilson, and actors Irina Antonenko, Tatiana Neva, John Fallon, and Kerry Goodwin. Cornet directed from returning scribe Craig Hamann’s screenplay with Nevsky producing for his Hollywood Storm label, alongside exec producers Eric Brenner for ETA Films, Cornet for San […]