Screen Yorkshire backs $25m action film

Screen Yorkshire has made its biggest production investment to date on $25m US-UK co-production Hunter’s Prayer (previously known as For The Dogs).

Avatar and Clash of the Titans star Sam Worthington will star as an assassin in director Jonathan Mostow’s (Terminator 3) thriller, which is due to shoot in the UK and Hungary in 2015.

The film is the first US production to get backing from Screen Yorkshire, which would not reveal the amount invested but confirmed it to be above £1m.

Casting is currently underway on the female lead. Emma Roberts and Hailee Steinfeld were both previously linked to the project but are no longer in the frame.

Based on the novel For The Dogs by Kevin Wignall, the script has been adapted for the screen by Paul Leyden, Oren Moverman, John Brancato and Michael Ferris.

Producers are Navid McIlhargey and Anthony Rhulen for Film Engine (US), Chris Milburn for Midsummer Films (UK), John and Michael Schwarz, Sam Worthington for Full Clip (US) and Paul Leyden.

In Hunter’s Prayer Worthington plays a solitary assassin who is hired to kill a young girl but can’t bring himself to do it. After he fails to carry out the task, both are marked for death and hunted across Europe. Their only hope is to find out why her family were wiped out and bring those responsible to justice.

Screen Yorkshire is investing in in the film through its Yorkshire Content Fund alongside the Ingenious Senior Film Fund, represented by Gavin Poolman and Michael Shyjka, who will be executive producers on the film, and LipSync Productions.

Sierra/Affinity handles international sales.

The Yorkshire Content Fund, the biggest regional investment fund for production in the UK, is backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The £15m fund is open to content producers working in film, TV, games and digital based in Yorkshire or from outside.

Recent investments include Peaky Blinders, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Testament Of Youth, Get Santa, X + Y, Death Comes to Pemberley, Catch Me Daddy and ‘71.

Executive producer Hugo Heppell, head of investments at Screen Yorkshire, said: ‘’The Yorkshire Content Fund continues to have a dramatic impact on production levels in the region.

“This latest investment is highly significant as it demonstrates that Yorkshire is now able to attract - and host - big budget international feature films, as well as major sporting events like the Tour de France.’’