Media 8 Entertainment, a leading film entertainment company engaged in the production, financing, acquisition, and worldwide licensing of theatrical feature films, and producer of Academy Award® winner “Monster,” announced today that Jon Amiel has signed on to direct “Undying” (formerly known as “Reaper”), their recently announced supernatural thriller that will star Kurt Russell. “Undying” is written by Gary Whitta (writer of Warner Bros' recent hit film “Book of Eli”), with Media 8 Entertainment producing and financing the film, and also handling worldwide sales. The announcement was made today by Media 8 Entertainment President Stewart Hall.
“We are thrilled to announce that Jon Amiel will be directing UNDYING,” said Stewart Hall, President of Media 8 Entertainment. “Jon is an incredible talent and we are excited to pair him up with an icon like Kurt. When I sat in a room with the two of them, they were instantly in sync in their vision for the material and it was clear they would make a great film together.”
“I'm truly excited to be involved with this project,” said Jon Amiel. “UNDYING is a wondrously original movie - part gumshoe noir, part supernatural thriller - it manages to combine richly detailed and real characters with all the wild, dark visuals of a graphic novel. Kurt Russell as Virgil Lone will be extraordinary I think. He's an actor who's widely loved and widely admired for two obvious reasons - he a really good guy and he's a damn fine actor!”
Media 8 Entertainment is producing the film along with Los Angeles based production company Circle of Confusion, and financing along with Cynthia Stafford's Queen Nefertari Productions, Northern Lights Films, and London/LA-based E-Motion. Media 8 is handling international sales and is bringing the project to buyers at the Cannes Market. Jay Cohen at Gersh and CAA are handling the sale for North America. Both Jon Amiel and Gary Whitta are repped by UTA.
Production is set to begin on the film, which is a stylish neo-noir in the vein of “Blade Runner” and “Seven,” in fall 2010.
“Undying” tells the story of Virgil Lone, a private investigator who finds himself recruited by the darkly beautiful and mysterious Delia. As he begins to work for Delia, Virgil finds himself suddenly immersed in a surreal underworld, one where the boundaries of life and death – as well as right and wrong – are completely blurred.
"The type of magic that occurs when you combine a legendary actor like Kurt Russell with a visionary director like John Amiel is what attracted us to the business in the first place,” said Lanre Idewu, COO, Queen Nefertari Productions. “We are in for a real treat."
Jon Amiel attended Cambridge University as an English literature major while getting involved with local theatre. After college, he went on to direct for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC, where his projects included the highly-successful mini-series The Singing Detective. The series was a hit not only in the U.K., but also in the U.S. and Australia, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Drama Series as well as winning a Peabody Award. He made his feature film debut in 1989 with Queen of Hearts (1989). The film won Amiel a First Film Prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, as well as the Grand Prix at the Paris Film Festival.
Amiel then began working in Hollywood, and he has worked on A-List Hollywood projects ever since. He directed Peter Falk and Keanu Reeves in the comedy Tune in Tomorrow (1990). His work won two awards at the Deauville Film Festival- an Audience award and a Critics award. For his next film, Amiel took on the period drama Sommersby (1993), starring Jodie Foster and Richard Gere. The film was a huge worldwide hit, taking in over $140 million worldwide at the box office and earning Amiel a Golden Screen award in Germany.
With comedies, musicals and romantic dramas already to his credit, Amiel next took on the thriller Copycat (1995), starring Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Once again, he was honored for his work, winning an Audience Award at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier, and again the film was a hit, making nearly $80 million worldwide. Recently, Amiel directed Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones for 20th Century Fox in the smash hit thriller Entrapment, which made $212 million worldwide. In 2003 Amiel directed The Core for Paramount, starring Hilary Swank and Aaron Eckhardt, which grossed nearly $75 million worldwide. In 2009, Amiel's Charles Darwin biopic Creation starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly was chosen as the prestigious Opening Night Film of the Toronto International Film Festival, where it played to strong critical and audience reviews.
About Queen Nefertari Productions
Queen Nefertari Productions is financing and co-financing 3-4 feature films per year. The company is looking to expand its $30 million fund within the next 12 months, which comes in the form of private investments from Stafford and Producer Jeff Kalligheri. Queen Nefertari Productions currently has several projects in development, including a faith-based project with Hyde Park Entertainment called “Risen,” and a comedy with Hollywood Farms called “Adrenaline,” with Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) set to direct. Queen Nefertari Productions also recently produced two independent films, the multicultural coming of age tale “Polish Bar” and supernatural thriller “The Inheritance.”
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