Entry Level Scares Coming from Maniac Director
Steve Barton
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Franck Khalfoun pulled off a master class in filmmaking with his truly insane remake of the Bill Lustig classic Maniac so any time that he’s associated with a new flick, we sit up and listen.
From the Press Release:
Veteran Hollywood producers Craig Perry and Sheila Taylor (FINAL DESTINATION series, AMERICAN PIE franchise) of Practical Pictures announced today that their next production is the action/thriller ENTRY LEVEL.
Perry and Taylor will produce alongside Tom Butterfield (upcoming WELCOME TO ME, LIFE AT THESE SPEEDS). The producers are currently casting the project, which is set to start shooting in the fall.
Written by Benjamin Hurley, the feature film will be directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Franck Khalfoun. He recently completed the upcoming AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, which is set for wide release by The Weinstein Company later this year. Additional credits include MANIAC starring Elijah Wood, which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and was released by IFC Films, and Summit Entertainment’s P2 starring Wes Bentley and Rachel Nichols.
Tannaz Anisi’s 13 Films is handling international sales on the action/thriller and will present the project to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Paradigm is handling North American rights.
After he mysteriously awakens in a super high-security office building, a young man is forced by a mysterious stranger to complete a strictly timed series of dangerous tasks that will implicate him in a deadly crime with global consequences.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with a director of Franck’s caliber to bring this terrific thriller to the big screen,” said Perry.
Added Taylor, “We are overjoyed to join forces with Franck – his talents are an ideal match for this thinking man’s actioner.”
“ENTRY LEVEL is a suspenseful thriller with exhilarating action revolving around global espionage and the battle for secrets which are ultimately responsible for either maintaining global stability or total global destruction. It’s this thrilling combination of intense action and high-stakes plausibility which attracted me to the project along with the opportunity to work with both Craig Perry and Sheila Taylor, who are just as excited to take Benjamin Hurley’s dynamic script to the next level,” said Khalfoun.
“I am thrilled to be partnering with Craig and Sheila, who have a proven track record with the blockbuster AMERICAN PIE and FINAL DESTINATION franchises. Franck is a vibrant filmmaker with a singular vision for this tense, heart-pounding script which promises to be a non-stop ride for audiences worldwide. I am delighted to be aboard,” said Anisi.
Perry and Taylor founded feature film and television production company Practical Pictures in 2004, after working together at Perry’s previous label Zide/Perry Entertainment. Under both banners, they produced the successful FINAL DESTINATION horror franchise as well as Universal’s global box office hit AMERICAN PIE comedy franchise. Other productions include TriStar Pictures’ THE BIG HIT with Mark Wahlberg and Warner Bros.’ CATS & DOGS.
They are currently in post-production on the family comedy ODDBALL, directed by Stuart McDonald and starring Shane Jacobson and Sarah Snook. Upcoming projects include an UNTITLED THRILLER for Universal, scheduled to start shooting in the fall; the Brazil-set action film 72 HOURS for Myriad Pictures; the crime thriller HUSTLE for Cascade Films; and the independent comedy WHITEFISH.
13 Films’ slate at Cannes also includes the comedy CHRONICALLY METROPOLITAN starring Chris Noth (HBO’s “Sex and the City”), Mary-Louise Parker (Showtime’s “Weeds”), Shiloh Fernandez (EVIL DEAD), and Ashley Benson (“Pretty Little Liars”); the supernatural thriller VOICE FROM THE STONE starring Emilia Clarke (HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” upcoming TERMINATOR GENISYS) and Marton Csokas (THE EQUALIZER); and crime thriller MANHATTAN NOCTURNE starring Oscar winner Adrien Brody, all three of which are in post-production with 13 Films debuting new footage in Cannes.
Additional films on the company’s slate include UNTÖT, set to star Hayden Christensen, and actioner EXTORTION with Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames (upcoming MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION; PULP FICTION) and Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS), both in pre-production.
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