Neil Marshall (Hellboy, The Descent, The Reckoning, Dog Soldiers) is readying action horror thriller, The Lair, with Highland Film Group handling worldwide sales at the upcoming virtual AFM, launching Wednesday, November 4.
Aimed as a return to his creature horror roots, The Lair centers on Kate Sinclair, a Royal Air Force pilot Lieutenant whose final flight mission sees her jet shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds of Afghanistan.
After finding refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological, carnivorous half human/alien weapons are awakened, Sinclair barely escapes. Unknowingly however, she tracks the creatures known as Ravagers back to a US army base.
Casting is underway with plans to shoot in Spring 2021 with Marshall writing and directing. He is also producing the pic under his Scarlett Productions Ltd. label.
“If The Reckoning was a gothic drama in testament to the power and resilience of women, then The Lair is my true return to full blooded horror and intense genre action in the style of Dog Soldiers, The Descent and Doomsday. I’m making something scary as hell, pulse pounding and great fun. This is a crowd pleaser. An adrenaline pumping roller-coaster ride. Spectacular and loud; inspired by classic genre movies like Aliens, Predator and The Thing and their incredible use of practical creature FX. Featuring a new breed of screen terror, The Lair will be a snarling, ravenous beast of a movie. I’m going to get my hands bloody making this one!” said Marshall.
“The Lair has the potential to become a cult classic that showcases Neil’s extraordinary work we have already enjoyed in his hits such as The Descent and Dog Soldiers. The worldwide distributors are seeking powerful classic genre films with excellent execution from an expert’s hands. The Lair ticks all the boxes,” said Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser. “Neil is at the top of his game when he is directing evocative creature films such as The Lair. When we read the script, we knew immediately that this would be another one of his signature event movies. We cannot wait for him to get to work,” continued Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier.
Among Highland’s current and diverse sales slate are Alec Baldwin’s outlaw western, Rust and Andrew Baird’s Zone 414, as well as Mark Earl Burman’s Ambush with Aaron Eckhart, and upcoming sci-fis Liam O’Donnell’s Skylin3s, and Dimitri Logothetis’s Jiu Jitsu.