Principal Photography is already underway in Hungary for Dog Soldiers and The Reckoning helmer Neil Marshall’s new film, The Lair. Set to star in the film are Jonathan Howard (Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, Skylines, Warner Bros.’ Godzilla King of Monsters), Charlotte Kirk (The Reckoning, Warner Bros.’ Oceans Eight), and Jamie Bamber (UMC’s “Battlestar Galactica,” Cinemax’s “Strike Back,” 20th Century Fox’s Money), from a script by Marshall who is also exec producing.
The Lair centers on a command squad led by Sergeant Tom Hook, tasked with findinf Lt. Kate Sinclair, a downed Royal Air Force fighter pilot Afghanistan. Sinclair, pursued by insurgents, finds refuge in a long abandoned secret bunker and unwittingly releases a deadly man-made biological weapon – half human, half alien and hungry for human flesh – the Ravagers. Hook and his team, accompanied by a handful of British SAS troops must save Sinclair from the insurgents, and more importantly from the Ravagers before they overrun the area and potentially the world.
Rounding out the current cast are Leon Ockenden (ITV’s “Mr Selfridge”), Mark Strepan (BBC Studios’ “New Blood”), Hadi Khanjanpour (HBO Max’s The Operative) Harry Taurasi (Showtime’s “The Borgias”), and newcomers Kibong Tanji and Troy Alexander.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales rights.
“It’s great to be back in the thick of the action with such a stellar cast and crew, and I’m thrilled to be shooting in Budapest again.” said Marshall. “This movie really captures the mood and intensity of my early work, not to mention the blood and guts. I think horror and action fans are going to get a real kick out of The Lair. “
“We are very excited to start production on The Lair. The project received great attention from worldwide distributors when we first introduced it. Neil’s previous film, The Reckoning was a solid success in the independent world, and we know he is ready to take on another great creature feature – a genre he is beloved for. The talented ensemble cast will certainly deliver for horror-action-thriller fans too looking for a dynamic story and an edge of your seat experience,” said Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser (CEO) and Delphine Perrier (COO).
The Lair is produced by Daniel-Konrad Cooper of Rather Good Films Ltd (Dead In A Week (or your money back), The Man In The Hat). Also exec producing are aforementioned actress Kirk, next to Joe Simpson, Phil Rymer, Simon Williams and Samantha Allwinton.
Ingenious Media and Ashland Hill Media Finance are funding, with poduction services in Hungary by co-producers Jonathan Halperyn and Daniel Kresmery of Hero Squared (SAS: Red Notice, Archive)
Below the line credits include cinematography by Luke Bryant (The Reckoning), casting by Jeremy Zimmermann (Dog Soldiers, Hellboy II), Sean Wheelan of Filmgate serving as VFX Producer (Pathé’s Centurion, Summit Entertainment’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard), production design by Mónika Esztán, costume design by Mária Fatér (The Reckoning) and prosthetics by Bálazs Novák (Pieces of a Woman, Paramount’s Hercules).
Highland Film Group’s diversified production and sales slate includes Stephan Rick’s The Good Neighbor, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Luke Kleintank; Allan Ungar’s Bandit, starring Josh Duhamel, Mel Gibson, and Elisha Cuthbert; Renny Harlin’s The Misfits, starring Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, and Tim Roth; Edward Drake’s Gasoline Alley, starring Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Devon Sawa; Herbert James Winterstern’s Supercell, starring Alec Baldwin; Mark Neveldine’s Panama starring Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson; Randall Emmett’s Wash Me In The River starring Robert De Niro, Jack Huston and John Malkovich.