Lionsgate On ‘Monster Hunt 2’; Uncork’d Rides With ‘Suburban Cowboy’

Lionsgate has acquired North American and UK theatrical distribution rights to Monster Hunt 2, the sequel to the 2015 blockbuster that, for a time, was the highest-grossing film ever in China. The agreement also gives Lionsgate rights to the Monster Hunt property for its location-based entertainment venues in select territories. Bill Kong’s Hong Kong-based Edko Films is selling Monster Hunt 2 at the Cannes Film Festival. Monster Hunt 2 is directed by Raman Hui and stars Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (Hero, Infernal Affairs), Baihe Bai (Monster Hunt, Chongqing Hot Pot) and Boran Jing (Monster Hunt, Time Raiders). It’s currently in post-production and slated for release in North America and the UK day and date with its Chinese release during the Chinese New Year in February 2018. The story picks up from the first installment and sees the baby monster at the heart of the adventure having to pit itself against even more formidable enemies in both human and monster form

Ahead of Cannes, home entertainment and theatrical distributor Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired Suburban Cowboy. The thriller hails from Ryan Colucci and Grammy-nominated EDM artist Dragan Roganovic (aka Dirty South). Written by Colucci, the gritty caper follows a drug dealer on Long Island who finds himself over his head when one of his soldiers robs a connection to ruthless Serbian gangsters. When the debt falls on his shoulders he is forced to take drastic measures. Frank Raducz Jr, Alandrea Martin, Zoran Radanovich and Matty Finocchio star. Suburban Cowboy, which screened at last year’s Austin Film Festival, reunites Colucci and Dirty South. Colucci produced With You, a film directed by the artist based on his album of the same name. Paradigm has been spearheading domestic sales on the film with Galen Christy’s High Octane Pictures handling international.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has acquired domestic physical and digital distribution rights to the Distant Horizon suspense thriller, Serpent. The film, directed and written by Amanda Evans, premieres during the Nightfall section of the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 17. Sarah Dumont (Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse, Don Jon) and Tom Ainsley (Versailles, The Royals) star as a husband and wife on a romantic escape that turns deadly when they are trapped in a tent with a poisonous snake. Voltage Pictures is handling international rights and screening the film in the Cannes market this week. Distant Horizon, which previously made Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, is currently developing Evans’ next project, The Neighbor Number 13.

Kodak and Pinewood are teaming to support the use of physical film in movie and TV production. Kodak has taken a five-year lease on part of the Ken Adam Building at Pinewood in the UK where it will establish a new film negative processing lab. This will be welcome news to filmmakers who prefer to eschew digital. “Kodak is committed to strengthening the infrastructure that enables the world’s leading filmmakers to continue to shoot real film,” said Steven Overman, President of Kodak’s Consumer and Film Division and Chief Marketing Officer. “This collaboration with Pinewood will ensure that we can continue providing high quality processing in one of the world’s most vibrant markets.” Adds Darren Woolfson, Group Director of Technology for Pinewood, “This move signifies our support for the continued ability of filmmakers to choose to shoot their films on physical film in the UK.” In response to a strong resurgence of film in the motion picture industry, Kodak recently acquired a film-processing lab in Atlanta, where clients include The Walking Dead.