EXCLUSIVE: StudioCanal has pre-bought UK rights to ‘71; Protagonist’s slate also includes Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England and Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant.

Protagonist will be at AFM with a number of intriguing UK projects, including Yann Demange’s buzzed-about action-thriller ‘71 (working title), which StudioCanal has pre-bought for the UK, and the anticipated sequel to Vertigo Films’ acclaimed hit Monsters, which will shoot in early 2013.

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The Crab Apple Films-Warp Films-Film 4 production ‘71, written by Black Watch writer Gregory Burke, follows a young British soldier in 1970s Belfast who has to fight his way back to safety when he is accidentally abandoned by his unit in dangerous territory. Shoot is set for spring 2013.

Demange previously directed Channel 4’s acclaimed Top Boy and well-received BBC series Criminal Justice. Angus Lamont and Robin Gutch produce.

Action-sci fi Monsters – The Dark Continent, the awaited sequel to Gareth Edwards’ 2010 hit Monsters, is currently in prep.

Misfits director Tom Green will direct Jay Basu’s script. Seven years on from the events of Monsters, the ‘Infected Zones’ have spread worldwide and two soldiers have to embark on a life-changing mission through the dark heart of monster territory.

Producers are James Richardson and Allan Niblo for Vertigo and Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken for Between the Eyes. Monsters director Gareth Edwards and actor Scoot McNairy will executive produce.

Protagonist will also be pushing Vertigo’s sci-fi thriller Kill Command, which is set to shoot in spring 2013, from writer-director Steve Gomez.

The near-future set film will follow an elite army unit involved in a fight to the death after it is helicoptered to a remote island training facility where the US Defence Department creates robot weapons.

Protagonist’s slate also includes comedy Frank starring Michael Fassbender, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers follow-up A Field in England and Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant.  

The London-based sales outfit will also be showing footage at AFM of Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now and promo reels for StreetDance All Stars and action-epic Hammer of the Gods. Australian comedy Save Your Legs gets a first market screening. 

John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary and Richard Ayoade’s The Double are in post-production.

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