In today’s film news roundup, “Buffalo Boys” gets US distribution, Full Moon Empire buys a library, “Invincible” gets cast and a Liechtenstein-based film fund is announced.
ACQUISTIONS
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the North American rights to Mike Wiluan’s western “Buffalo Boys,” Singapore’s entry in the foreign-language Academy Awards category, Variety has learned exclusively.
The film stars Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Pevita Pearce, Tio Pakusadewo, Conan Stevens and Reinout Bussemaker. “Buffalo Boys” will be released in theaters and VOD on Jan. 11.
The film begins in 19th Century Java as a brutal massacre and the murder of a sultan forces the sultan’s brother and infant sons to flee to the American Wild West. After working the railroads and learning the cowboy way of life, the boys return to their homeland to avenge their father’s death.
“Buffalo Boys” was produced by Mike Wiluan, Huang Junxiang, Tan Fong Cheng, Rayya Makarim, and Kimberly
James. It was executive produced by Natalya Pavchinskaya, Freddie Yeo, Eric Khoo, Kris Wiluan, Huang Junxiang, Christopher Smith, Michy Gustavia, Mo Shuyi, Sukdev Singh, Wicky Olindo, and Bert Tan.
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The deal was negotiated by Miles Fineburg at Samuel Goldwyn Films and Pip Ngo of XYZ Film, on behalf of the filmmakers.
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Full Moon Empire has acquired New City’s Torchlight Pictures library of more than 200 erotic thrillers and soft-core adult dramas that were released on cable television, Variety has learned exclusively.
“While our existing library speaks for itself, adding this new wealth of quality entertainment for adults and couples
to enjoy can only strengthen the services we’re currently offering,” said Full Moon’s Charles Band.
Full Moon Empire will begin streaming titles from the New City/Torchlight deal this month, with
select titles targeted for release on DVD and Blu-ray. Upcoming titles include “Bikini Frankenstein,” “Bikini Time Machine,” “Naughty Newlyweds,” “Bad Girls at Play” and “Sapphire Girls.”
PRODUCTION START
Johnny Strong, Marko Zorar, Sally Kirkland, Vladimir Kulich and Michael Pare are starring in Daniel Zirilli’s action-thriller “Invincible,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Production has begun in Thailand with Zirilli and Doug Price producing as the first in a multi-picture slate between Price of D3 Telefilm and Zirilli’s Popart Film Factory.
Kulich plays a colonel who enlists a billionaire inventor to fund a secret black site, testing new nano technology for military applications developed by Kirkland’s scientist character. When one of the test subjects escapes, Strong’s head of security is given the dangerous task of tracking him down. Price and Zirilli last collaborated on the film “Locked Down.”
FILM FUND
The Liechtenstein-based Iocus Film Fund has been established to focus primarily on original scripted content for film and television in the United States and abroad, Variety has learned exclusively.
The first project from the fund will be romantic comedy “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” set in 1967 in Europe and slated for production next summer.
Iocus will be led by Rudolf ‘Rudi’ Hilti, co-founder of the HUS Institute in Liechtenstein. Aaron Gingrich will serve as co-chief creative officer with Victoria Ullmann. Nicolas Vannier will be co-president of international affairs. Board members will include David Armstrong (who will act as chief operating officer), Sebastian Shariati, Jamieson Mundy, Edin Seferagic and Robert Cain.