Lightning Entertainment Takes Sales Rights To Supernatural Action-Thriller "ROAD TRAIN"
Paddington, Australia – May 6, 2009 – Prodigy Movies’ newest feature film ROAD TRAIN will commence shooting in South Australia on May 11. The announcement was made today in conjunction with Santa Monica-based sales and distribution company, Lightning Entertainment, acquiring sales rep rights for the world ex-Australia/New Zealand to the film, with plans to introduce the project to international distributors at the upcoming Cannes Market, with plans to show footage at the AFM this Fall.
ROAD TRAIN is directed by Dean Francis from a script by Clive Hopkins. It will be acclaimed commercial and shorts director Francis’s feature debut. Produced by Michael Robertson (BLACK WATER and the upcoming THE REEF), the film will shoot for three weeks in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, followed by two weeks in Adelaide.
Starring in the film are Xavier Samuel, (NEWCASTLE, THE LOVED ONES), Bob Morley (HOME & AWAY, THE STRIP), Georgina Haig (UNDERBELLY) and Sophie Lowe (BEAUTIFUL KATE, BLESSED).
In ROAD TRAIN, Nina (Sophie Lowe), her companion Craig (Bob Morley) and their friends Marcus (Xavier Samuel) and Liz (Georgina Haig) are on an outback camping holiday when they become victims of road rage from a ‘road train’ (a giant two-trailer road transporter) – when they attempt to remonstrate with the truck driver they discover that it is a driverless-truck, and their terror then begins!
ROAD TRAIN is financed by Screen Australia, the South Australian Film Corporation and CPF Films. Polyphony Entertainment will distribute the film in Australia/NZ.
Dean Francis is a graduate of the Australian Film Television & Radio School with an impressive list of awarded genre-based short films. His teaming with Robertson continues the producer’s approach to working successfully with first–time writers and directors.
Michael Robertson’s most recent film, BLACK WATER, a low-budget croc-horror thriller, is one of the few recent Aussie films to return profits to its investors. The film sold to 76 countries around the world and had a successful theatrical run in territories such as UK, Ireland, Poland, Mexico, Malaysia and Australia.
Lightning Entertainment is also handling worldwide sales outside of Australia and New Zealand for Prodigy Movies’ upcoming film THE REEF - a terrifying tale inspired by true events of survival on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Principal photography commences this August.
Lightning Entertainment Co-President Richard Guardian commented, “We’re excited to have another Prodigy film on our slate. In the same way that BLACK WATER and THE REEF have been embraced by distributors for their strong audience appeal, ROAD TRAIN is another clearly identifiable commercial concept – best described as “DUEL meets CHRISTINE!”
In addition to ROAD TRAIN and THE REEF, Lightning’s diverse slate at the upcoming Cannes Market includes the thriller NO-DO (The Beckoning”), THE MERRY GENTLEMAN starring Michel Keaton and the horror/thriller GRACE.