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Jeremy Piven, who won three Primetime Emmy awards for his performance on the HBO series Entourage, and Jamie Costa, best known for his impression of Robin Williams in the 2021 viral video Robin, have signed on to star in the supernatural action movie Fight for Your Life, which Luke Sparke (Occupation: Rainfall) will be directing from a screenplay he wrote with Tom Evans.

Piven will be taking on the role of a soldier who wakes up in a mysterious cell and is forced to face an onslaught of deadly opponents in an ever-changing fight arena – his only goal being to survive long enough to return to his daughter.

Fight for Your Life is coming our way from Sparke Films, and pre-production is underway in Australia, where sets are already being built.

Sparke had this to say about the project: “Fight for Your Life places Jeremy in a morality battle with himself...

Exclusive: Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke is set to direct the epic adventure Shadow Chasers for Steve Lee Jones’ Bee Holder Productions and Matthew Shreder’s Concourse Media. A fall shoot in Australia is planned as casting gets underway.

Shadow Chasers is a modern and fresh take on Charles Dickens’ most famous works, including notable characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley. The story is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride when these characters team up with Oliver Twist and a young Dickens himself to save Old London from imminent destruction. The script is written by George Mahaffey, who is the scribe behind recently completed Bee Holder spy thriller Chief of Station starring Aaron Eckhart.

Related Story Sam Mendes & Audible Team For Charles Dickens Adaptations; ‘Oliver Twist’ Up First Related Story Alec Baldwin & Olga Kurylenko Board Spy Action Thriller 'Chief Of Station' For Bee Holder & Concourse Media Related Story 'Axis Of...

Exclusive: Rialto Distribution has acquired Australia/New Zealand rights to mob thriller Bring Him To Me, which Myriad will be selling at the upcoming EFM.

Directed by Luke Sparke (Occupation), Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under) and Liam McIntyre (The Flash) star in the film whose script is inspired by the traumatic scene in Martin Scorsese’s Casino in which Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) unwittingly turns up for a meeting in a cornfield and things go south.

Today, we can reveal first images for the movie, which is now in post-production.

In the movie, under orders from a ruthless crime boss, a getaway driver must battle his conscience and drive a young and unsuspecting passenger to an uncertain fate. Script comes from Tom Evans.

The film also introduces actor Jamie Costa, who made social waves in 2021 with a portrayal of Robin Williams...

Barry Pepper is set to star in horror film “Scurry” from “Occupation Rainfall” director Luke Sparke.

Film Mode Entertainment is launching world sales at Cannes.

“Scurry” sees two injured strangers — a family man and a criminal — trapped underground while the city above is attacked by a monstrous threat. Bleeding and with no resources, their only hope is to make it out of a treacherous tunnel before time runs out.

Carmel Imrie, Carly Sparke and Luke Sparke are producing the feature while Zac Garred and Alex Becconsall are co-producing.

Clay Epstein, Geoff Imrie and Luke Sparke are executive producing.

“Scurry” is a Film Mode Entertainment and Sparke Films production.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Luke and the Sparke Films team on yet another stellar feature film that raises the genre bar as well as the project’s commercial viability around the world,” said Epstein. “The addition of Barry Pepper and his adept talent,...

Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment and Luke Sparke’s Sparke Films have just announced the next feature films in the sci-fi action thriller Occupation: Rainfall franchise, Occupation: Rainfall Chapter 2. With the Cannes market in full swing, they’ve announced that the film will star Jeremy Piven (Judgment Night), Casper Van Dien, Tricia […]

The post ‘Occupation: Rainfall Chapter 2’ – Casper Van Dien and Danny Trejo Join Sci-Fi Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Jeremy Piven, Casper Van Dien, Liam McIntyre and Tricia Helfer among cast.

Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment has boarded Occupation: Rainfall Chapter 2, the next instalment in the alien invasion franchise from Sparke Films, which will star Jeremy Piven, Casper Van Dien, Tricia Helfer, Liam McIntyre and Danny Trejo.

Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke returns to direct from his original screenplay and plans to start pre-production after Cannes ahead of a third quarter start of principal photography in Australia.

Chapters 2 and 3, the third and fourth entries in the series after 2018’s Occupation and Occupation: Rainfall in 2020, will film back-to-back on a custom-built LED volume stage.

Film Mode Entertainment has inked a multi-project distribution deal with Australian director/producer Luke Sparke’s company Sparke Films.

Among the titles Film Mode will represent worldwide are Sparke’s upcoming projects “Weapons of Choice,” an adaptation of John Birmingham’s World War Two trilogy “Axis of Time” and “Primitive War,” a horror feature franchise based on Ethan Pettus’ book series.

Film Mode will also handle worldwide sales rights for “Occupation: Rainfall 2” and “Occupation: Rainfall 3” – the third and fourth films in Sparke’s franchise – as well as a number of other projects still in development.

“Occupation: Rainfall 2” and “Occupation: Rainfall 3” are currently in pre-production and will be announced in advance of Cannes.

Sparke and Film Mode owner Clay Epstein previously worked together on “Occupation: Rainfall” (pictured above), which starred Ken Jeong and Jason Isaacs. Film Mode sold the feature, which is the second in the Occupation franchise, to dozens of...

For actor Zac Garred, starring in the long-awaited and much-delayed Australian Gangster was like “going to a really cool party and not being able to tell anyone about it”.

The Roadshow Rough Diamond series, written and directed by Gregor Jordan, premieres tonight on the Seven Network some three years after it was shot, with delays due to legal reasons.

Inspired by true events, Alexander Bertrand leads the show as Pasquale “Pas” Barbaro, who grew up in an organised crime family. He is released from jail, but not before making an enemy of fellow inmate and Brothers For Life member, Mohammed “Little Crazy” Hamzy (Rahel Romahn).

The newly-freed Barbaro is not concerned about playing it safe or hiding in the shadows. He is, however, concerned about looking good on Instagram.

The supporting cast includes Steve Bestoni, Louisa Mignone, Karla Tonkich and Salvatore Coco.

Given legal sensitivities, when he speaks to If,...

Given the WWII setting of author John Birmingham’s Axis of Time book trilogy, it’s fitting that filmmaker Luke Sparke became inspired to work on a television adaptation while working on a project detailing the same era.

While he read the first book, Weapons of Choice, upon its release in 2004, Sparke told If it wasn’t until he came across the series again at Brisbane Airport while en route to join the costume and wardrobe department on mini-series The Pacific in 2007 that the potential of the subject matter dawned on him.

“I picked it up and read it on the plane and couldn’t put it down,” he said.

“That’s when the gears starting turning that it would make a good TV show, but at the time I wasn’t in any position to create one.

“I kept the book, which is the copy I am using to do all my notes in.

Keep track of when films are coming out in the territory.

Cinemas in the UK and Ireland are set to reopen this spring, following months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Screen is listing the release dates for films in the territory in the calendar below. For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here.

Indoor cinemas in England and Scotland will be allowed to reopen from May 17; with dates yet to be confirmed for Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Screen is also tracking reopening dates of cinemas in...

Disney to give Marvel superhero film the widest release since UK cinemas reopened in May.

After a delay of more than a year, Disney has finally released Marvel superhero adventure Black Widow in the UK and Ireland, and will deliver the territory’s widest theatrical release since cinemas began reopening in May.

The comic book adaptation, starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Cate Shortland, opened in 622 venues in the UK on Wednesday (July 7) – two days ahead of the US – and generated £1.2m of its first day of release. The takings were impacted by England’s win over Denmark in the...

Stars: Jason Isaacs, Temuera Morrison, Ken Jeong, Daniel Gillies, Dan Ewing, Jet Tranter, Mark Coles Smith, Trystan Go, Ken Jeong, Izzy Stevens, Dena Kaplan, David Roberts, Vince Colosimo, Katrina Risteska | Written by Luke Sparke, Dale Dye, Felix Williamson | Directed by Luke Sparke

Released in 2018 the Australian alien invasion film Occupation caught a lot of people off guard with the amount of action and the quality of the effects it produced on a low budget. Now the sequel Occupation: Rainfall is here, the success of the original allowing it the luxury of a $25,000,000 dollar budget. That’s about one-tenth of the Hollywood blockbusters it’s competing with. Can it hold its own against the competition, or is resistance to the Disney Empire futile?

Occupation: Rainfall picks up two years after the original and things aren’t going well for humanity and their alien allies. And we can see why right from the start,...

To celebrate the release of Occupation: Rainfall, we sat down with Daniel Gilles – one of the film’s stars – to find out all about the sci-fi action thriller.

Known to many for his turns in The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Spider-Man 2 (more on that later), Gilles takes a break from vampires and spiders to tackle aliens in this explosive sequel. Picking up after its predecessor, the follow-up sees Gillies as Wing Commander Hayes who is plunged straight into the waging war between the remaining human race and the aliens who want to make Earth their new home. The actor tells us of the challenges in playing such a role, the physical elements of the film amongst all the CGI, working with director Luke Sparke, and what fans of the first film can expect from the sequel, including co-stars Ken Jeong and Jason Isaacs.

We also spoke to him...

On the surface, it might appear that little changed with home viewing this weekend. At least as far as can be told with “In the Heights” (Warner Bros.) on HBO Max. Even with theaters of great interest, unlike its disappointing gross, results at home remain a mystery.

But a second glance reveals a few nuggets of note. A handful of new releases arrived, including “Queen Bees” (Gravitas Ventures) on Premium VOD, which also placed in the theatrical box-office top 10.

Meanwhile, some positions suggest how different pricing strategies may have an impact on results, including possible consumer resistance to prices higher than normal. That might be the case with “Mortal Kombat” (Warner Bros.).

“Wrath of Man” (United Artists/$19.99) edged out “Nobody” (Universal/$19.99) as the top performer. Both had two #1 placements across the charts. But “Wrath” did slightly better, taking two #2 positions, while “Nobody” was #3 on two charts. (See the rankings below.

Temuera Morrison can’t seem to get away from aliens. He’s either hunting them or they’re hunting him — or he’s chatting with them over the dinner table. While he plays a renowned alien bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe (and will be getting his own The Mandalorian spin-off with The Book of Boba Fett), Morrison gets to […]

The post Exclusive ‘Occupation: Rainfall’ Clip: Even When He’s Not in ‘Star Wars,’ Temuera Morrison is Chatting With Aliens appeared first on /Film.

Sam Neill, Miranda Otto and Chris Pang have been added to the cast of Jeffrey Walker’s The Portable Door, which is shooting on the Gold Coast at Pinnacle Film Studios.

Adapted from Tom Holt’s six-part fantasy book series, the story follows a university drop-out who discovers his new employer is a front for a sinister organisation.

Christoph Waltz plays company CEO Humphrey Wells, who disrupts the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, while Patrick Gibson plays Paul Carpenter, a lowly, put-upon intern who discovers the true agenda of the vast corporation where they work.

The cast also includes Rachel House, Sophie Wilde, Jessica DeGouw, and Damon Herriman.

As If has previously reported, Leon Ford (Offspring) penned the screenplay, with Story Bridge Films’ Todd Fellman to produce with the Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Blanca Lista.

Fellman said he was excited...

The sequel to the Aussie alien invasion movie Occupation. Two years after aliens land on Earth, survivors from Sydney, Australia, fight in a desperate war as the number of casualties continue to grow. Release date: June 11, 2021 (USA) Director: Luke Sparke Distributed by: Monster Pictures Film series: Occupation Screenplay: Luke Sparke Cast: Dan …

The post Occupation: Rainfall – Invading Theaters Soon!! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

"Something big is coming..." Saban Films has debuted a new official US trailer for an Australian sci-fi action thriller titled Occupation: Rainfall, from filmmaker Luke Sparke. This is a completely different trailer than the UK trailer we posted last week. Two years after aliens land on Earth, survivors from Sydney, Aus., fight in a desperate war as the number of casualties continue to grow. It's described as "Avatar meets Star Wars meets Independence Day," and I'll be damned if it doesn't have that kind of feeling in these trailers. From the VFX team behind The Last Jedi and Blade Runner 2049, Sparke's Occupation: Rainfall is a new "sci-fi action epic with an all star cast." Temuera Morrison co-stars with Ken Jeong, Jet Tranter, Dan Ewing, Lawrence Makoare, Daniel Gillies, Dena Kaplan, and Jason Isaacs. Bring on the rain! I just hope this is as kick ass as it looks! It could go either way,...

Universal Pictures UK has dropped a ‘Fast and Furious 9’ trailer spot with Vin Diesel front and centre urging film lovers to return to their cinemas.

Whilst over in the US, to entice people back to the excitement of the big-screen action, Universal has announced free screenings of each of the eight previous ‘Fast and Furious’ films every Friday in cinemas leading up to the US release.

In the 9th instalment, Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a...

Signature Entertainment has launched a new trailer for the sci-fi action movie ‘Occupation Rainfall’.

Described as Avatar meets Star Wars meets Independence Day and from the VFX team behind ‘The Last Jedi’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’. The film focuses on the events after an intergalactic invasion of Earth, where survivors are fighting back in a desperate ground war, the resistance uncovers a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end for mankind. With the alien invaders hell-bent on making Earth their new home, the race is on to save the planet.

Written and directed by Luke Sparke, the film stars Jason Issacs, Temuera Morrison, Ken Jeong and Daniel Gillies (The Originals).

Also in trailers – There is something horrifying lurking at night in trailer for dark comedy ‘Werewolves Within’

The film hits UK cinemas and Premium Digital 9th July. Trailer ahoy!

The post Aliens are hell-bent on taking...

"Bring the rain." Signature Entertainment in the UK has unveiled the official UK trailer for an Australian sci-fi action thriller titled Occupation: Rainfall, from filmmaker Luke Sparke. Two years after aliens land on Earth, survivors from Sydney, Australia, fight in a desperate war as the number of casualties continue to grow. It's described as "Avatar meets Star Wars meets Independence Day," which is a hell of a marketing pitch for a film that definitely won't live up to any of those (sorry not sorry). From the VFX team behind The Last Jedi and Blade Runner 2049, Sparke's Occupation: Rainfall is a new "sci-fi action epic with an all star cast." Temuera Morrison co-stars with Ken Jeong, Jet Tranter, Dan Ewing, Lawrence Makoare, Daniel Gillies, Dena Kaplan, and Jason Isaacs. This does have some massive VFX sequences, which is quite impressive, but the mash-up of unoriginal sci-fi ideas seems to be its biggest drawback.

Exclusive: Rainfall, the action sci-fi starring Ken Jeong, Temuera Morrison, Daniel Gillies and Jason Isaacs, has sold around the world for Film Mode Entertainment.

The movie has been picked up for: North America (Saban), UK (Signature); Cis (Paradise); France (Metropolitan); Germany (Splendid); Japan (New Select); Middle East (Eagle Films); Pan-Asia Ptv (Disney/Fox); Scandinavia (Smile Entertainment); South Korea (Scene&Sound); Taiwan (Moviecloud); Singapore (Shaw); Spain (Flins & Piniculas); and Vietnam (Noori).

The film, which features VFX from artists behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Blade Runner 2049, takes audiences two years into an intergalactic invasion of Earth, with the last survivors fighting back in a desperate ground war. As casualties mount by the day, the resistance and their unexpected allies uncover a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end.

Producers are Carly & Carmel Imrie (Occupation) and U.S. co-executive producer Todd Williams (The Nun).

“We...

With continued paucity of product from the US and other international territories, Australian films remain the main event at the box office.

Showing incredible legs, Robert Connolly’s The Dry is still the no. 1 title, earning just under $1.2 million across its sixth weekend, a drop of just 18 per cent.

The mystery drama, based on the novel by Jane Harper, has now made $16.2 million in total for Roadshow Films. That figure makes The Dry the 17th highest grossing Australian film of all time (without adjusting for inflation), and the fourth highest performing local film of the last decade behind Lion, The Dressmaker and Red Dog.

Fellow Roadshow drama Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and produced by the same production company as The Dry, Made Up Stories, remains in the number two spot. In its third frame, the Naomi Watts-starrer earned $729,269, a fall of 43 per cent, to bring takings to $5.2 million.

In a remarkable result, four Australian films – The Dry, Penguin Bloom, High Ground and Occupation: Rainfall – took home almost 50 per cent of the national box office last weekend.

The four titles together totaled $3.5 million, or 47 per cent of the total B.O of $7.5 million.

Such a strong local showing speaks to a variety of factors: the paucity of product from the US, good word-of-mouth and strong marketing campaigns by distributors.

The four titles’ performance is also a hopeful sign for the other Aussie films due in coming weeks, including documentary Wild Things (Potential Films), released this Thursday; dramas Long Story Short (Studiocanal) and Unsound (Filmink Presents) due on February 11; and Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin’s doco Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (Icon) on February 18.

“With few Hollywood/international productions entering the market over the coming weeks, I expect this to continue for some time,” Village Cinemas national film programming manager Geoff Chard tells If.

Media Release: Tuesday 22 September Occupation Rainfall Teaser Trailer Released Ahead Of The Film’S World Premiere Screenings At Monster Fest 2020 The teaser trailer for Occupation: Rainfall, one of Australia’s biggest ever sci-fi films has today been released ahead of the film’s World Premiere screenings at Monster Fest 2020 on Friday 30 October in …

The post Occupation: Rainfall – Trailers, TV Spots, Arts!! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

It’s a rare feat for an Australian film to break through to the top of the box office, let alone for two local titles to lead the weekend’s rankings. But Penguin Bloom and The Dry have done just that.

Roadshow Films’ Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver, opened on $1.5 million from 398 screens, or $1.7 million with previews, to come out on top.

Stablemate The Dry was close behind, netting $1.4 million over its fourth weekend to cross $12 million overall. Each film was produced by production company Made Up Stories, led by Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Jodi Matterson.

For Roadshow Films CEO Joel Pearlman, both titles’ results are testament to audiences’ desire to support home-grown filmmaking. He argues “now is the time for Australia to champion its bold stories and beautiful locations with the world.”

“It’s remarkable that the two...

Another TV classic is getting a refresh! Back in January, NBC's streaming service Peacock officially gave a series order for the sequel to '80s NBC sitcom Punky Brewster, and now, a year later, we have a premiere date! The new series, which features Soleil Moon Frye reprising her original role as the titular Punky along with Cherie Johnson, as Punky's best friend, will starting streaming on Feb. 25.

The series is in the same vein as Disney Channel's Girl Meets World and Netflix's Fuller House, following an all-grown-up Punky as a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets a young girl (Quinn Copeland) who reminds her a lot of her younger self.

Related: Punky Brewster Is All Grown Up (Ish) in the Delightful Teaser For Peacock's Sequel Series

The original Punky Brewster - created by David W. Duclon -...

Monster Pictures Media Release: Wed 2 December A Wild And War-torn Dystopian Vision Of The Land Down Under Comes To Life In The Most Ambitious Sci-fi Film Ever Produced In Australia. Occupation: Rainfall Occupation: Rainfall the spectacular new Australian Alien Invasion blockbuster, produced entirely independently, will release in Australian cinemas on 28 January 2021. The …

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Monster Pictures will release sci-fi Occupation: Rainfall, written and directed by Luke Sparke, January 28, 2021 on 120 screens.

The follow up to 2018’s Occupation picks up two years into an intergalactic invasion of Earth where survivors in Sydney, Australia are fighting back in a desperate ground war. As casualties mount by the day, the resistance and their unexpected allies uncover a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end. With the alien invaders hell-bent on making Earth their new home, the race is on to save mankind.

The cast includes Ken Jeong, Daniel Gillies, Dan Ewing, Dena Kaplan, Temuera Morrison, Mark Coles Smith, Jet Tranter, Lawrence Makoare, David Roberts, Vince Colosimo, Zac Garred, and Trystan Go, as well as Jason Isaacs as the voice of Steve the alien.

Produced by Carly and Carmel Imire, and co-executive producer Todd Williams, The film features VFX by Creative Cupids, Fin and a range of independent artists.

Exclusive: Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment has beefed up its sales slate as the American Film Market gets underway in its virtual form.

The company has acquired world rights on the hybrid live-action/animated family comedy Ollie. In development, the pic will star Mario Lopez (Saved By The Bell) alongside skateboarder and musician Tony Alva. Story follows Cj, a 13-year-old by who is having a tough time at his local skatepark. His life takes a dramatic, adventurous and positive turn when he is befriended by Ollie, a skateboarding bulldog who was just fired from his watchdog job.

Lopez will produce and voice the character Ollie. Also producing are Mark Roberts via Roberts/David Films, along with Lorena David. Clay Epstein is executive producing.

Film Mode has also boarded international rights on comedy Last Call alongside BondIt Media Capital. The pic features Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Taryn Manning (Orange Is The New Black...

Tuesday 22 September Occupation Rainfall Teaser Trailer Released Ahead Of The Film’S World Premiere Screenings At Monster Fest 2020 Occupation: Rainfall, one of Australia’s biggest ever sci-fi films has today been released ahead of the film’s World Premiere screenings at Monster Fest 2020 on Friday 30 October in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Australian distributor …

The post Occupation: Rainfall – Sequel To Aussie Smash Hit Releases Teaser & Sets Premiere! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Tuesday 22 September Occupation Rainfall Teaser Trailer Released Ahead Of The Film’S World Premiere Screenings At Monster Fest 2020 Occupation: Rainfall, one of Australia’s biggest ever sci-fi films has today been released ahead of the film’s World Premiere screenings at Monster Fest 2020 on Friday 30 October in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Australian distributor …

The post The Alien Invasion Returns In Occupation: Rainfall – Trailer! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Dan Ewing in ‘Love and Monsters.’

Dan Ewing makes his Hollywood debut in Paramount Pictures’ comedy-adventure Love and Monsters, which follows humans who were forced underground after giant creatures took control of the land.

Formerly known as Monster Problems, the Queensland-shot film directed by South African-born Michael Matthews stars Dylan O’Brien as Joel Dawson, who reconnects over the radio with his high school girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick).

Aiming to rekindle their romance, he ventures out to find her, battling all the dangerous monsters that stand in his way.

Ewing plays Cap, a former naval officer who is giving Aimee and members of her colony sanctuary at sea. “My character has seen the brutal horrors of what these creatures are capable of and offers the colonists a real chance at survival,” the former Home and Away star tells If.

“Very Noah’s Ark. He also puts a great spanner in the works for Joel.

Exclusive: Dark Sky Film has picked up U.S. distribution rights to Tribeca drama-horror My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To. The deal was negotiated by Ryan Kampe on behalf of Visit Films and Greg Newman on behalf of Dark Sky Films. The film follows two mysterious siblings who find themselves at odds over care for their frail and sickly younger brother. Starring are Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram, and Owen Campbell. Pic is written and directed by Jonathan Cuartas. Producers are Patrick Fugit, Kenny Riches, Ian Peterson, Anthony Pedone, and Jesse Brown. Visit Films is continuing international sales during the virtual Toronto market. Newman said, “My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To features standout performances and as a talented first time filmmaker, Cuartas is one to watch. We’re thrilled to be bringing this film to U.S. audiences.”

Jason Isaacs has joined the cast...

‘Occupation: Rainfall’ Dop Wade Muller and Luke Sparke.

Aiming to cash in on the anticipated global success of Occupation: Rainfall, filmmaker Luke Sparke is developing a raft of features and TV series spanning horror, drama, time-travel and comedy.

The writer-producer-director is assembling a team of writers on these projects, all of which he intends to shoot in Australia.

“On Occupation: Rainfall I had an amazing team working with me and I’m excited to keep moving forward with them,” he tells If.

The sequel to his 2018 sci-fi thriller Occupation will have its world premiere at Monster Fest in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, followed by a cinema release via Monster Pictures.

The slate includes Blitzkrieg, a World War 2 thriller about a group of bomber pilots who crash land in Germany and must survive the horrors they find, and The 34th Battalion, which will follow four friends from Maitland in...

‘Occupation: Rainfall.’

Luke Sparke’s Occupation: Rainfall, the sequel to his 2018 sci-fi thriller Occupation, will have its world premiere at Monster Fest in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

The festival, which runs from October 29 – November 1, will provide the launch platform for the cinema release handled by Grant Hardie’s Monster Pictures.

Ken Jeong, Daniel Gillies, Temuera Morrison, Dan Ewing, Trystan Go, Zac Garred, Mark Coles Smith and Dena Kaplan star in the sequel which picks up two years later as survivors of the intergalactic invasion of Earth fight back in a desperate ground war.

As casualties mount, the resistance and their unexpected allies uncover a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end.

Sparke tells If a launch date is yet to be set, given the closure of Victorian cinemas and capacity limits on cinemas in other states, but he expects it will open soon after Monster Fest.

Zac Garred in ‘The Seance.’

While most actors around the world are having an enforced rest due to the pandemic, Zac Garred is in demand. After shooting the horror film The Seance in Pennsylvania, the LA-based actor is heading to Montana next week for the drama Zero Road.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunities as it has been a sad state of affairs here in the Us,” says Garred, who first went to LA for pilot season in 2014. “I had a few mates in the industry who had to bail and head back to Australia.”

In first-time director/producer Chance Sanchez’s Zero Road he is cast as Josh, a fat drug dealer described as a 1990s boy band reject.

The semi-autobiographical tale centres on a gifted teen who struggles to survive poverty while supporting his mother who suffers from a meth addiction.

The cast includes Jackson Rathbone (Jasper...

As NBCUniversal’s Peacock launches on Xfinity X1 and Flex today, the streamer has released teaser trailers for its first wave of originals, dystopian drama Brave New World, featuring Demi Moore, Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster sequel series, the original movie Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, Season 3 of comedy series A.P. Bio, limited series Angelyne, headlined by Emmy Rossum as well as British imports Intelligence and The Capture.

During a call Tuesday, Peacock Chairman Matt Strauss was optimistic that Peacock, which rolls out nationally on July 15, will be able to launch with some original shows, including the adaptation of Brave New World and Psych 2 — both originally produced by USA Network — with the reboots of Saved By The Bell and Punky Brewster likely to air in 2020. Like all Hollywood companies, Peacock’s slate was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic-related production shutdown. As a result, a “significant” amount of Peacock...

Peacock, NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service, has ordered a 10-episode first season of Punky Brewster, with original series star Soleil Moon Frye set to reprise her role as the titular character who became a pop culture staple of the 1980s. The follow-up series to the 1984 NBC sitcom hails from Universal Content Productions (Ucp) and Universal Television, divisions of NBCUniversal Content Studios. It will premiere on Peacock when the service launches later this year. Punky Brewster previously had received a pilot order at Peacock.

Also returning to the series is Cherie Johnson, reprising her role as Punky’s best friend. Joining the series are Quinn Copeland (Waitress the Musical), Lauren Donzis (No Good Nick), Oliver De Los Santos (Occupation: Rainfall), and Noah Cottrell (Skyscraper). Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer) guest stars in the pilot as Punky’s ex-husband.

“I am beyond thrilled and honored to be bringing Punky back!

Trystan Go and Dan Ewing in Occupation: Rainfall.

Writer-director Luke Sparke always intended to shoot Occupation: Rainfall, the sequel to his 2018 sci-fi thriller Occupation, in three blocks.

However lengthy delays in the second and third blocks resulted in fresh additions to the cast in Jet Tranter, Mark Coles Smith, David Roberts and Dena Kaplan.

Tranter (Tidelands) took over from Stephanie Jacobson as a key leader on the human resistance who tries to end the war with aliens.

Coles Smith is a commando with Roberts as another resistance leader and Kaplan as a fighter pilot.

They joined the previously announced cast of Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Ken Jeong, Daniel Gillies, Lawrence Makoare, Vince Colosimo, Trystan Go, Zac Garred, Kat Risteska, Ben Chisholm, Erin Conner, Izzy Stevens and John Reynolds.

Filming wrapped in December after delays caused by a dispute with the Meaa. “With the film being so big, we always planned...

Quinn Copeland (Waitress the Musical), Lauren Donzis (No Good Nick), Oliver De Los Santos (Occupation: Rainfall) and Noah Cottrell (Skyscraper) are set as series regulars opposite Soleil Moon Frye, in Peacock’s Punky Brewster pilot from Ucp and Universal Television.

In the multicamera/hybrid continuation of the iconic 80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky (Frye) is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy (Copeland), a young girl who reminds her a lot of her younger self.

Copeland’s Izzy is a street-smart, headstrong and adorable Punky-like girl for a new generation. Recently abandoned by her mother, Izzy tries to hide her vulnerability, but finds a kindred spirit in Punky (Frye). Donzis will play Hannah, Punky’s fashion-forward teenage daughter, who often feels like she’s the parent and Punky’s the kid.

Daniel Gillies (The Originals and Vampire Diaries) has been added to the cast of the Australian sci-fi sequel Occupation: Rainfall, which also includes Ken Jeong, fresh from this year's smash hit Crazy Rich Asians.

Jeong and Gillies join the stars from the first film, Occupation, including Temuera Morrison (Aquaman) and Dan Ewing.

Occupation: Rainfall — directed by Luke Sparke, who helmed the first installment and shot in locations across Australia — picks up two years into an intergalactic invasion of Earth, with a group of survivors in Sydney fighting back in a desperate ground war.

Clay Epstein’s Film Mode ...

Izzy Stevens and Temuera Morrison in ‘Occupation Rainfall.’

Four weeks into the 12-weeks shoot on Occupation: Rainfall, writer-director Luke Sparke declares the sequel will be four times bigger in scale and ambition than the original Occupation.

The filmmaker is delighted with the performance of Ken Jeong, who has filmed his role as an American character who holds the key to the mystery of the rainfall.

Sparke was happy to encourage the Crazy Rich Asians and Hangover star to improvise, observing: “We let him loose to ad lib. He brings his unique style to the role, a very dry character. He had the crew in stitches at times.”

Co-written by Sparke and Felix Williamson, the sequel picks up two years after the intergalactic invasion of Earth as survivors in Sydney fight back in a desperate ground war. As casualties mount, the resistance and their unexpected allies uncover a plot that could...