Renny Harlin

Started by MacGuffin, May 14, 2005, 01:32:59 PM

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MacGuffin

Harlin, Arclight 'Run' with thriller
Source: Hollywood Reporter

CANNES -- Renny Harlin will direct the action thriller "Run," set to begin shooting in Rome in October under the banner of L.A.-based Pierce/Williams Entertainment, the project's international distributor Arclight Films confirmed Saturday.

Harlin's attachment to the film was announced by Arclight's managing director Gary Hamilton. "We're thrilled to have a director of Renny's caliber on board to direct the film," Hamilton said. " 'Run' will feature some of the most complex car-chase scenes to hit the cinema in years, and no one understands action better than Renny."

The film tells the story of a rookie Interpol agent who pulls over an unsuspecting motorist for a traffic violation in Rome, triggering an unrelenting car chase that catapults the city into chaos.

As the Marche du Film reaches the halfway mark, Arclight already has presold the film to Japan (Presido Corporation and Movie Eye); Germany (Telepool); Scandinava (Nordisk); Eastern Europe (Paradise); Benelux (Dutchfilmworks); Indonesia (PT Menara); the Middle East (Gulf Films); and Portugal (Castello Lopez).

"The market response to this film has been tremendous," said Jonathan Deckter, Arclight's newly appointed president of international sales. " 'Run' has sold faster than anything in Arclight's history."

Harlin will next direct "The Northmen" for Morgan Creek Prods. His previous films include "Die Hard 2: Die Harder," "Cliffhanger," "Deep Blue Sea" and "Exorcist:The Beginning."

Arclight Films is an international sales and production company with offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, Toronto and London headed by Hamilton and Victor Syrmis.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Harlin Eyes New Thriller
Exorcist prequel helmer on The Covenant.

A new supernatural thriller called The Covenant has been given the green light and is heading quickly into production. Numerous crew and casting announcements have been made and covered over at Variety, including the post of director.

Renny Harlin, who filled in to re-tool the recent supernatural disaster Exorcist: The Beginning, has been brought on board to helm The Covenant. Production is scheduled to begin in Montreal on October 4th.

The Covenant will star four young, fairly unknown actors – Sebastian Stan, Steven Strait, Toby Hemingway and Chace Crawford – who play students at a prep school. The plot is said to involve a mysterious stranger; no more has been revealed by the studio yet.

At this point, it's not clear yet whether The Covenant will receive a wide theatrical release or not. Producer Clint Culpepper has no major motion pictures under his belt yet, so this might well end up being a straight-to-DVD movie. Only Harlin, with films like Deep Blue Sea and Die Hard 2 on his resume, appears to have much Hollywood experience.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Harlin gets serious about war
Director to tackle Russia-Georgia conflict
Source: Variety

Renny Harlin has been set to direct an untitled drama based on actual events that took place during the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict.

The short war began Aug. 8, 2008, when Georgian forces attacked the border territory in South Ossetia. Russia recognized the territory's independence and subsequently routed Georgian forces; tensions have remained high ever since.

Harlin will shoot the film in areas near the conflict. Pre-production is already under way, as is casting, for a mid-September shoot. The film will be made on a budget far less than Harlin is accustomed to, with financing put together by Rex Films' George Lascu and Michael P. Flannigan, who will produce with Harlin and David Imedashvili.

Harlin said the plot specifics are being kept under wraps for security reasons, but the drama involves an American journalist and his cameraman who get caught in the crossfire in Georgia and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial journalists.

The subject matter is a decided departure for the Finnish-born director, who is best known for helming popcorn thrillers like "Die Hard 2," "Cliffhanger" and "Deep Blue Sea." Turns out Harlin's a closet aficionado of arthouse films, and he said he has waited his whole career to sink his teeth into a serious film."I've waited a long time to find something with substance and reality," Harlin said. "I thought I had that in 'Mannerheim,' this historical epic on the Finnish war general who led Finland against Russia in 1939, but the financing fell apart. When I got this script two weeks ago, it was exactly what I had been looking for, a great human story, with tragic, serious overtones. I saw it as my opportunity to use my experience in action films to tell the story of a complex conflict that is impartial but makes a strong antiwar statement."

When he began his Hollywood career producing the critical favorite "Rambling Rose" in 1991, he planned to direct films with similar sensibilities.

Commercial success took him in a different path.

"I want to make a film that says something about the human condition, and even if only a few people see this and feel its impact and its antiwar message, then I will have done something that's important and I will be proud of it," he said.

Mirza Davitaia and Dyndy Kuipers are executive producers.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks