XYZ slays sales for Killers

US-based production and sales company XYZ Films has closed several deals for The Mo Brothers’ Japan-Indonesia crime thriller Killers ahead of EFM.

Since debuting at AFM, rights have been pre-sold to Germany (Tiberius), France (Wild Side), Turkey (Calinos) and Hong Kong (Sundream). At EFM, XYZ sales partner Celluloid Nightmares will reveal further footage ahead of the film’s April completion.

Killers follows a Japanese serial killer (Kazuki Kitamura) with a large online following and a disgraced Indonesian journalist (Oka Antara) whose copycat vigilante murders gain him equal notoriety, leading  to a showdown. Like Someone In Love’s Rin Takanashi also stars.

In association with XYZ, Killers was co-produced by legendary Japanese studio Nikkatsu with Indonesian backing from The Raid director Gareth Evans’ P.T. Merantau Pictures and the Mo Brothers’ Guerilla Merah Films.

Nikkatsu producer Yoshinori Chiba, who previously launched the Sushi Typhoon label and produced Cold Fish, commented on working with fast-rising Indonesia. “We quickly invested based on the success of The Raid and having Macabre directors The Mo Brothers attached. Killers will appeal to international audiences.”

XYZ partner Nate Bolotin commented on the cross-cultural project. “It was an honor to collaborate with Nikkatsu. It’s the start of us fostering productions between the US, Japan and other international regions.”