phoenix eye

ECHO 8 Trilogy: Casting Call Underway For ‘Five By Five’ And ‘Beyond’ Through February

Film duo Maria Tran and Takashi Hara are kicking off principal photography in Q1 2025 for the back-to-back production of the sequels to the independently produced Australian noir action psych thriller, Echo 8. A casting call is now underway with submissions to be sent by February 8. The Echo 8 Trilogy represents a collection of urban action assassin films with a female- led perspective, crafted under the creative direction of Maria Tran and penned by Elizabeth H. Vu. This trilogy takes audiences on three distinct cinematic journeys: “Echo 8” (2023), “Five By Five” (2025), and “Echo 8 Beyond” (2025). Five By Five: Set three decades prior to ‘Echo 8,’ the prequel ‘Five By Five’ unveils the enigmatic Agent 5’s grief-stricken existence and his gradual spiral into chaos while climbing Zodiac’s hierarchy. Echo 8 Beyond: After the occurrences of ‘Echo 8,’ Anna finds herself pursued by lethal Zodiac operatives tasked with […]

OBSIDIAN: Don’t Miss The Trailer For The New Psych Action Sci-Fi Short Thriller From Takashi Hara

Lee B. Golden III

Phoenix Eye’s Maria Tran and Takashi Hara are back with another shortform thriller coming soon in Obsidian. It’s one of several projects from their repetoire that will be slowly rolling out in the weeks and months ahead, and it’s got an enticing trailer you can view above. A young couple’s dangerous run-in with loan sharks is thwarted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger. “Obsidian” is a contemporary drama with sci-fi elements written in the same vein as “Looper” and “Predestination”. With a gripping storyline, dynamic characters and a twist ending, “Obsidian” will captivate the audience, leaving them hopeful for the future. If you’re not subscribed to Phoenix Eye anywhere on social media just yet, consider this your heads-up, especially if you follow burgeoning creators and filmmakers alike. Hara directs as well as stars with Tran from a script by Elizabeth H. Vu, and with action sequences by Tran, and […]

ECHO 8: Maria Tran, Phoenix Eye Fast Track Independent Psych Action Thriller For January Production

Lee B. Golden III

Actress Maria Tran took to social media on Sunday to announce pre-production on upcoming psychological action thriller, Echo 8. Tran will star and make her feature directorial debut, as well as head a cast that also includes local actors Takashi Hara and David Vuong. Echo 8 centers on a highly trained assassin who finds herself in a strange house with no memories of how she got there, in the wake of a specialized mission gone awry; Think: Jaume Collet-Serra’s Unknown by way of Renny Harlin’s The Long Kiss Goodnight. Script is currently in the last stages of development with screenwriter Elizabeth H. Vu (Mr. Ghost, The Perception) finalizing the latest draft. The self-funded project hails from Tran’s Phoenix Eye banner where she and cohorts Therese Chen and Nancy Trieu have been working on their film slate with a number of titles, in addition to journeying between locations to share in […]