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Exclusive: Daniel Dockery hired as head of development; company launches writing programme.

Mann Made Films, the Manchester-based production company behind assassin thriller The Tournament, is set to expand its operations in the UK.

The outfit, owned by Scott Man and James Edward Barker, has hired former Granada and Lime Pictures story writer and story editor Daniel Dockery to act as their head of development. The position is effective immediately.

In his new role, Dockery will oversee Mann Made’s development slate and spearhead a new writing programme.

Jonathan Frank, writer of 2009’s The Tournament, which starred Robert Carlyle and Ving Rhames, will also join the firm.

Frank has come on board as head writer for the writing initiative, which is being launched to attract Northern-based talent and develop commercial genre titles for the international market.

Frank will assist in the development of Mann Made projects and has a first-look deal with the company on his new script...

Chicago – Many editions of the DVD Round-Up have featured a different genre and focus for each title within it. This week seems a little more thematically linked as we have a trio of foreign horror films and a few more independent films than usual. Of course, there has to a holiday comedy to spice things up.

Consider this column informational with synopsis, tech specs, and special features info for titles that might go otherwise unnoticed, but if you’re looking for more critical opinion, we covered “Sauna” when it played at the EU Film Fest, “Medicine For Melancholy” when it was available on IFC Direct, and “Nothing Like the Holidays” when it played in theaters.

“P” and “The Tournament” were released on October 20th, 2009

“The Butcher,” “Medicine For Melancholy,” “Nothing Like the Holidays,” and “Sauna” were released on October 27th, 2009

“Nothing Like the Holidays”

Photo credit: Anchor Bay

Synopsis: “John Leguizamo (Ice Age,...

Year: 2009

Directors: Scott Mann

Writers: Jonathan Frank / Nick Rowntree / Gary Young

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: Hal MacDermot

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Once every seven years, thirty of the world’s most deadly assassins gather together and fight for the grand prize of ten million dollars – there can be only one winner, only one survivor.

Normally this genre of Battle Royale-esque movie is set on an exotic island, or a mystic m’larkey temple, and here’s why I knew I was in for something different right from the start, The Tournament is set in no-m’larkey-at-all working class Middleborough, in the rainy North of England. Scott Mann’s action packed debut feature stars Robert Carlyle as a drunken priest mistaken for a hitman, and the beautiful Kelly Hu as a real hit woman. For a $12 million budget, you get a good bang for your buck. There are a...

The Tournament is a high octane, blood-bathed, British action thriller starring Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Hu, Ian Sommerhalder, Liam Cunningham, Scott Adkins and Sebastien Foucan.

Scott Mann directs a screeplay by Jonathan Frank, Nick Rowntree and Gary Young.

Every 7 years in an unsuspecting town, The Tournament takes place. A battle royale between 30 of the world’s deadliest assassins. The last man standing receiving the $10,000,000 cash prize and the title of Worlds No 1 (which itself carries the legendary million dollar a bullet price tag). The Tournament is set up by a group of sick high stake billionaires who watch the mayhem unfold via CCTV and bet on its outcome.

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tags: action, ian somerhalder, kelly hu, robert carlyle, scott adkins, trailer, uk film, ving rhames...

The opening film for one of the Los Angeles area's most well respected horror film festivals, Screamfest La 2009, has been announced; and it looks like the games are just about ready to begin ... or should I say tournaments?

Director Scott Mann’s high octane, blood-bathed, British action thriller The Tournament, starring Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Hu, Ian Somerhalder, Liam Cunningham, Scott Adkins, and Sebastien Foucan, will open this year’s Screamfest in the prestigious Grauman’s Theatre on October 16th.

Written by Gray Young, Jonathan Frank, and Nick Rowntree and produced by Keith Bell, Glenn M. Stewart, Gina Fegan, The Tournament is an explosive, action-loaded thriller where the winner takes all. Every seven years, thirty of the world’s most deadly assassins face off against one another for an outrageous cash prize. There’s only one rule: kill or die. As dozens of wealthy gamblers watch via closed-circuit TV,...

Scott Mann's, high octane, blood-bathed, British action thriller, The Tournament , starring Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Hu, Ian Sommerhalder, Liam Cunningham, Scott Adkins and Sebastien Foucan will open this year's at Screamfest in the prestigious Grauman.s Theatre on October 16. The Tournament was directed by Scott Mann, written by Gray Young , Jonathan Frank, Nick Rowntree, and produced by Keith Bell, Glenn M. Stewart, Gina Fegan. Synopsis: Every seven years, thirty of the world's most deadly assassins face off against one another for an outrageous cash prize. There.s only one rule: kill or die. As dozens of wealthy gamblers watch via closed-circuit TV, a city is overrun by brutal assassins - all aiming to be the last one standing. The trailer can be seen...

Once again, while Us distributors race around beating each other up and pee their pants to bring audiences the latest lame movie idea, independent studios overseas are putting together some really interesting movies. Though it seems no studio or distributor is willing to take a chance with many of them in the Us. It’s a shame really, because there are some really cool movies coming out that I personally would like to see: Black Death, Solomon Kane, and now, The Tournament.

Today we have for you the trailer and several new images for the Scott Mann-directed action movie. Check them out after the jump.

Directed by Scott Mann of Mann Made Films, co-written by Jonathan Frank and Nick Rowntree, The Tournament looks to be a fun, action-packed thriller about a group of thirty top-notch assassins that converge on a different unsuspecting town every seven years to hold a “last man standing” style contest.