Tag: Simon West

Catch A First Look At Christoph Waltz In OLD GUY

photo credit Peter Marley

Highland Film Group announced today that it has locked distribution deals in key international territories in all media for the action comedy OLD GUY starring two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (No Time to Die, Big Eyes, Inglourious Basterds), Lucy Liu (Strange World, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and Cooper Hoffman (Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza).

Directed by Simon West (The Expendables 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and written by Greg Johnson (The Last Son), Highland Film Group has sold the rights to OLD GUY to SND Films for France, Square One Entertainment GmbH for Germany, Vertigo Releasing and Lumiere Ventures for the UK, YouPlanet Pictures for Spain, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Spentzos Film for Greece, NOS Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, SF Studios for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, Aqua Group for Turkey, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Forum Film for Israel, California Filmes for Latin America, MovieCloud for Taiwan, Filmfinity for South Africa and Village Road Show for Australia and New Zealand.

Aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Christoph Waltz) still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck at a dead end but vying for the love of club manager Anata (Lucy Liu), Danny is thrilled when The Company pulls him back in the field, but only to train Gen Z newcomer Wihlborg (Cooper Hoffman), a prodigy assassin with an attitude. The mismatched pair is asked to eliminate top members of a competing crime syndicate and, in the process, uncover their employer’s true motive: removing the old guard in a full takeover. However, The Company didn’t anticipate that Danny’s experience coupled with the kid’s brilliance would create such an unlikely bond between the two, enabling them, with crucial help from Anata, to turn it all back on The Company.

The film is produced by Jib Polhemus (The Last Son, The Expendables 2), Martin Brennan (One Way, Zone 414), West and R.U. Robot Studio’s Petr Jákl (Medieval, The Last Full Measure). Hal Sadoff (The Nice Guys, Orphan: First Kill) and Norman Golightly (Lord of War, Ghost Rider) will produce on behalf of Dark Castle Entertainment. The film is executive produced by R.U. Robot Studio’s Martin J. Barab, Blue Rider Pictures’ Walter Josten (Around the World in 80 Days, Holes) and Aperture Media Partners’ Jared Underwood, Andrew Robinson and Dan Mandel. Hannah Leader and Frank DeMartini serve on the production legal team.

Production recently wrapped in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Highland Film Group is co-financing the action comedy and handling worldwide rights. OLD GUY was filmed on location in Northern Ireland with support from Northern Ireland Screen.

“We are delighted to be working with such talented actors as two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, rising talent Cooper Hoffman and Lucy Liu in this fantastic action-packed comedy,” said Highland Film Group’s CEO Arianne Fraser. “With the help of our wonderful international partners, we look forward to introducing global audiences to this phenomenal project led by director Simon West,”added COO Delphine Perrier.

Go For A Thrill Ride With Jason Statham In First WILD CARD Trailer

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Lionsgate has released the exciting first trailer and poster for director Simon West’s WILD CARD, starring Jason Statham.

The huge cast also includes Michael Angarano (Cyrus Kinnick), Milo Ventimiglia (Danny DeMarco), Dominik García-Lorido (Holly), Anne Heche (Roxy), Sofia Vergara (DD), Max Casella (Osgood), Jason Alexander (Pinky), Francois Vincentelli (Benny), Davenia McFadden (Millicent ), Chris Browning (Tiel), Matthew Willig (Kinlaw), Greice Santo (Cocktail Waitress ), with Hope Davis (Cassandra) and Stanley Tucci (Baby).

If the cast doesn’t convince you to catch the film when it comes out next year, check out the trailer below.

Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes…and this time, it’s all or nothing.

Based on the novel “HEAT”, WILD CARD is from two-time Academy Award-winning writer William Goldman (Best Original Screenplay,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969; Best Adapted Screenplay, All the President’s Men, 1976)

WILD CARD hits theaters and On Demand January 30, 2015.

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity

WILD CARD - First Look Image (1024x681)

Jason Statham is Nick Wild In WILD CARD First Look Photo

WILD CARD - First Look Image (1024x681)

Lionsgate announced today that the action thriller WILD CARD starring Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia and Dominik García-Lorido will open in theaters and On Demand January 30th, 2015.

Anne Heche, Sofia Vergara, Jason Alexander, Hope Davis and Stanley Tucci also appear in the film which is directed by Simon West and based on the novel ‘Heat’ by William Goldman who also wrote the screenplay.

Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes…and this time, it’s all or nothing.

West directed Statham in THE EXPENDABLES 2 and THE MECHANIC.

The British actor starred this summer in THE EXPENDABLES 3 (on DVD/Blu-ray now) and in the upcoming FURIOUS 7, in theaters April 3, 2015.

Two-time Academy Award-winning writer William Goldman won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969 and Best Adapted Screenplay, All the President’s Men, 1976.

Meyers Media Group Captures Simon West Productions’ NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS 3D

Newly-formed international sales company Meyers Media Group announces today that they have picked up all international rights to director Zebediah De Soto’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS 3D from Simon West Productions. Simon West (director of “Expendables 2”) will produce alongside Jib Polhemus (“The Mechanic”), Gus Malliarodakis and Matty Mangone-Miranda. Written by De Soto, David Reuben Schwartz and Warren Davis, the film is a motion capture re-imagining of the George A. Romero zombie classic that stars Danielle Harris (“Halloween V”), Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”) and Tony Todd (“Candyman”). The deal was brokered by Lawrence Meyers and Randy Dannenberg of Meyers Media Group and Polhemus on behalf of Simon West Productions.

In the film, New York lies in ruin when zombies have overtaken the city. For the few people left alive there is only one dream – survival. That includes Ben (Tony Todd) and Barbra (Danielle Harris), two survivors who find themselves trapped and fighting to escape the hordes of undead that walk the streets.

Shot completely in a CG environment using stereoscopic 3D, the film employs the next generation facial capture technology that is a step beyond any previous versions used for this type of film. The look is a marriage between the graphic novel and modern animation, making it a true ‘graphic film’ that younger audiences will be more accustomed to experiencing.

“Horror films, especially zombie based films, already have a huge audience so it is particularly exciting to reinvent the genre with a totally new look,” said Simon West.

“NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is the most important franchise for the zombie genre, and to be a part of this re-imagining alongside Simon and Jib is exciting for us as a company,” said Lawrence Meyers, President of Meyers Media Group.

This is helmer De Soto’s debut as a feature director.  Also rounding out the cast are Bill Moseley (“Devil’s Rejects”) and Joe Pilato (“Day of the Dead”).

The film has been produced with the cooperation of The Graphic Film Company in association with Giant Studios, whose credits include motion capture work on TIN TIN and AVATAR.

Simon West Productions is currently in post-production on STOLEN, starring Nicholas Cage and written by David Guggenheim (“Safehouse”), and EXPENDABLES 2 with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS 3D will be one of the titles Meyers Media Group will be representing at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.  Additional titles for their slate are currently being assembled.

Simon West Productions, led by Simon West and Jib Polhemus, is a film and television development company with a fully equipped post-production visual effects house. The upcoming feature, Thunder Run, which is to be directed by West, employs the same motion capture technology used in Avatar and the same proprietary facial-capture technology which will be used in Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D. In addition to computer generated films, their past projects in live action film and television include: Black Hawk Down, The Mechanic, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The General’s Daughter, Con Air, The Cape, Human Target, and Keen Eddie

Simon West To Direct THE EXPENDABLES 2

After a long search, Simon West is the choice to direct THE EXPENDABLES 2, the sequel to Lionsgates’ 2010 smash hit action film. West, who most recently directed the remake of THE MECHANIC with Jason Statham and Ben Foster, also directed CON AIR, LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER and THE GENERAL’S DAUGHTER. Production begins in the summer.

The sequel is expected to have back an original cast that includes Sylvester Stallone, Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and Jet Li. Stallone directed the original, which grossed $275 million worldwide, $103 million in Canada & US.

 Synospis:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal! After Tool (Mickey Rourke), the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They’re not the only ones who want blood. Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a ruthless dictator plotting to destroy a resistance movement. Now Barney and the Expendables must risk everything to save her and humanity.

Lionsgate will release THE EXPENDABLES 2 on August 17, 2012.

Jason Statham Of THE MECHANIC Enters The World Of Warcraft Cataclysm

According to the film’s Tweet, “#JasonStatham isn’t just a #badass in #TheMechanic, he’s also one in World of Warcraft. He’s no noob.” The yummy CRANK and TRANSPORTER star a noob? Not on my watch.

Synopsis:

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a ‘mechanic’ – an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It’s a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed – he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can’t turn his back on Harry’s son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

From CBS Films, THE MECHANIC will be in theaters January 28, 2011. Visit the film’s official site here, on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

Director Simon West Could be Directing Statham as ‘The Mechanic’

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‘The Mechanic’ is one of those films that I regretted passing up for so long.   However, just a few weeks back, i rectified that situation, and, now, I am proud to say I experienced the glory of some Bronson badassery.

However, word comes to us today from Production Weekly (via their Twitter posts) that director Simon West (‘Con Air’, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’, and ‘When a Stranger Calls’) is in talks to direct a remake of ‘The Mechanic.’   The man set to fill Bronson’s shoes?   None other than the equally badass Jason Statham.

These are the rumors, anyway.   Screenwriting duties are in the court of Shane Salerno, who worked on the screenplay about ten years ago on another remake of a badass, ’70s film, ‘Shaft.’   While that remake wasn’t exactly all it probably should have been, I’m psyched to see what Statham can do with this role.   Of course, if West takes the helm, the film will surely lose all of its grit and harshness for slick and stylish.

What do you think?   As far as remakes go, is ‘The Mechanic’ that bad of a choice?   Is Statham a good choice to fill the role?   Do you think the remake will keep the original film’s ending?   Let us know by commenting below!

Source: Production Weekly

Banderas In Talks to Become ‘Dali’

Antonio Banderas (‘Desperado’) is in the final stretch of talks to portray the legendary, surrealist painter Salvador Dali in the indie biopic being directed by Simon West (‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’). The project has been floating around since 2003 when West first optioned the rights to the spec script by Jeremy Walters. Production is set to begin in early 2009.

Film will blend music with CGI sequences in an effort to capture the inventiveness and color of the painter. Story will explore how Dali conquered America and the world with sex, sin and surrealism only to succumb later to worldwide scandal and misfortune. — Variety

[source: Variety.com]