Media 8 Entertainment announced today that principal photography is underway on its new film, Santa's Slay. Media 8 is co-producing Santa's Slay along with Brett Ratner, who has directed such mega-box office hits as Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, and Red Dragon.
Santa's Slay is an action infused horror-comedy that casts everyone's favorite holiday figure, Santa, in an entirely new and sinister light. WWE wrestling star Bill Goldberg (Looney Tunes: Back in Action) plays the devilish Santa Claus, alongside up-and-coming young stars Douglas Smith (State's Evidence, Sleepover) and Emilie de Ravin (“Roswell”), and veteran character actors Robert Culp (The Pelican Brief,“I Spy,”), Saul Rubinek (Unforgiven), and Dave Thomas (Stripes, Strange Brew). This edgy horror comedy marks the directorial debut of David Steiman, who also wrote the original screenplay. The film is currently shooting on location in Alberta, Canada.
“Media 8 Entertainment is very excited to be working with Brett Ratner,” stated Sammy Lee, Vice Chairman of the Board for MDP Worldwide. “Brett has an incredible track record for choosing great projects with strong commercial appeal, and we expect our collaboration on Santa's Slay to result in a film that will be innovative, edgy, and perfectly aimed at the tastes of today's moviegoers.”
“Santa's Slay is one of the most innovative, freshest scripts I've read in the horror genre,” said Brett Ratner. “It contains mythology, suspense, and humor. There is no one better than David Steiman, the creative mind behind Santa's Slay, to bring this exciting project to the screen.”
In Santa's Slay, Santa Claus (Goldberg) turns out to actually be the son of Satan, and not the harmless old fellow we know and love. Santa's bad side has only been kept in check because of an ancient pact with an angel. Now, on Christmas Eve, the truce expires, and Santa is suddenly free to wreak mayhem. Teenager Nicholas Yuleson (Smith) discovers the terrifying truth about Santa from his grandfather (Culp), and it's up to him to stop Santa's deadly rampage in their small town of Hell. With the help of his spunky girlfriend Mac (de Ravin), Nicholas must take on Santa and his Viking Hell Deer, in order to try to restore peace on Earth for another thousand years.
Media 8's most recent release is the Academy Award-winning Monster, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, which is in current theatrical release in the US through Newmarket Films, and is in current theatrical release throughout Canada through Remstar / Alliance Atlantis. MDP's other upcoming releases include The United States of Leland, starring two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey, Ryan Gosling, and Don Cheadle, which will have its US theatrical release through Paramount Classics on April 2; the Mike Binder-directed The Upside of Anger, which is expected to be released this year in the US through New Line Cinema and stars three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Evan Rachel Wood and Alicia Witt; and Havoc, directed by two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple and starring Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips. |
