More than twenty years into his profession in stunt performance and direction, Dan Rizzuto’s provenly versatile career takes on a new milestone with riveting new crime drama, Torn: Dark Bullets. Rizzuto makes his narrative feature film directing debut in the wake of sharing recent behind-the-scenes stunt and fight choreography work on projects such as Ben Bray’s El Chicano, and hit fantasy martial arts series, Wu Assassins strarring Iko Uwais.
Co-written by Rizzuto and writing partner Joshua Mazerolle, Torn: Dark Bullets stars Sam Vincent, Dexter Bell and William ‘Big Sleeps’ Stewart, Karen Holness, and Christina Lewall, and is described as one of Rizzuto’s most ambitious projects, detailing “a raw and unapologetic look into a police shooting, racism and the connections they share”. The film signals the official launch of Rizzuto’s own production company, Cerebral Monkey Entertainment, producing the film with partner Scott Bailey.
Rizzuto is one of the most vociferous and vocal members of his profession in cinema, often speaking fervently about his craft and his exploits with every intent to help explore more ground in the cinematic action arena. Last year’s interview with Rizzuto is an informative and engaging example of this, citing the successes of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch among others with productions like the John Wick saga and Deadpool in the last several years.
He’s since applied his wisdom, and more to the point, to his own expansion into narrative drama and storytelling that provokes thought. “Authentic stories are what I want to do, I think that is lost in the world today.” says Rizzuto.
With a poster online and a Facebook page now live, announcement was sent to the presses this week to help get the gears rolling as the film readies its 2020 release plans. The film is expected to be a precursor for Rizzuto’s Cerebral Monkey slate with a seperate project currently in the works for an Indonesia shoot titled The Pound.
More to come…