Production has begun in Hungary on UK genre ace Neil Marshall’s action-horror and Highland Film Group sales title The Lair starring Jonathan Howard from Thor: The Dark World, Charlotte Kirk from The Reckoning and Jamie Bamber from Battlestar Galactica.
The Lair follows Sgt. Tom Hook as he is tasked with leading a unit to find Lt. Kate Sinclair after the Royal Air Force fighter pilot was shot down in Afghanistan. Pursued by insurgents, Sinclair has sought shelter in an abandoned bunker where she unwittingly releases the Ravagers – a half human-half alien man-made biological weapon.
Hook and his team, accompanied by a handful of British SAS troops, must save Sinclair from insurgents and the Ravagers before they overrun the area and threaten the entire world.
Additional cast just announced includes Leon Ockenden, Mark Strepan, Hadi Khanjanpour, Harry Taurasi, and newcomers Kibong Tanji and Troy Alexander.
Principal Photography started on location in Hungary on July 11. Daniel-Konrad Cooper of Rather Good Films Ltd. Is producing, and executive producers include Marshall, Kirk, Joe Simpson, Phil Rymer, Simon Williams and Samantha Allwinton.
Ingenious Media and Ashland Hill Media Finance are funding the feature, and co-producers Jonathan Halperyn and Daniel Kresmery of Hero Squared provide production services in Hungary.
“It’s great to be back in the thick of the action with such a stellar cast and crew, and I’m thrilled to be shooting in Budapest again,” said Marshall. “This movie really captures the mood and intensity of my early work, not to mention the blood and guts. I think horror and action fans are going to get a real kick out of The Lair. “
“We are very excited to start production on The Lair,” said Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser and COO Delphine Perrier. “The project received great attention from worldwide distributors when we first introduced it [at the AFM last year].
“Neil’s previous film, The Reckoning was a solid success in the independent world, and we know he is ready to take on another great creature feature – a genre he is beloved for. The talented ensemble cast will certainly deliver for horror-action-thriller fans too looking for a dynamic story and an edge-of-your-seat experience.”
Below-the-line crew on The Lair includes cinematographer Luke Bryant (The Reckoning), VFX producer Sean Wheelan of Filmgate (Pathé’s Centurion, Summit Entertainment’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard) production design by Mónika Esztán, costume design by Mária Fatér, and prosthetics by Bálazs Novák (Pieces Of A Woman, Paramount’s Hercules). Casting is by Jeremy Zimmermann (Dog Soldiers).
Among Highland’s current sales titles are: The Good Neighbor starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Luke Kleintank; Bandit with Josh Duhamel, Mel Gibson, and Elisha Cuthbert; Renny Harlin’s The Misfits starring Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, and Tim Roth; Gasoline Alley starring Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Devon Sawa; Supercell with Alec Baldwin; Panama starring Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson; and Wash Me In The River with Robert De Niro, Jack Huston and John Malkovich.
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