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UPDATE: ASSASSIN can now be ordered HERE.

What are your three favourite produced Thrillers and why?

The granddaddy of the modern thriller: PSYCHO (1960). Many people classify it as a horror but it’s first and foremost a thriller. Look at the first half: Marion Crane steals the money, goes on the run, avoids the police or detection. Then this unreal plot twist happens: she is killed. The hunter (Norman Bates) now becomes the hunted. Add to this the richness of the themes explored in the film: schizophrenia, transvestism, loneliness, love, etc. etc.

There are so many lessons one can learn from this movie. The most important one is that explosions and wanton destruction doesn’t always maketh for a great thriller. The second one: if you want a great thriller, make sure you create a fantastic, nasty, unforgettable villain.

Of course, the last few minutes with the shrink explaining Norman Bates’ madness is a bit of a let down but one shouldn’t forget that it was added because Alfred Hitchcock had to fool the censors into thinking that his film was a serious study of schizophrenia to get it out.

THELMA AND LOUISE (1991). It’s a very clever film in a sense that it has a very strong feminist message but it’s also a hell of a ride. But beyond the sexual politics, it’s also a film that made you care about the characters. We love Thelma and Louise and we go along with their ride. Furthermore, the ending is… tragic. And that’s original as most thrillers choose the easy way out: our hero saves the world and lives happily ever after.

The great lesson from this film is we need to care about the characters. If we don’t, then we end up with an empty and imminently forgettable film.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007). One of the best thrillers in recent years in my opinion. Great characters, convoluted plot. This film has all the prerequisites of the genre: murders, chases, cat and mouse games, etc. Like all good thrillers, it has characters we care about and a formidable, nasty villain in Anton Chigurh. It’s also a film which teaches you something that few writers remember to do when writing a thriller: set the story in an original location.

Many thrillers tend to be urban. So it was a stroke of genius to set this thriller against the desolate landscape of West Texas. A lesson also taught by PSYCHO: who could forget Bates Motel?

What are the most tired tropes/conventions of Thriller in your opinion?

Tropes and conventions MUST appear in every thriller to satisfy fans of the genre. If you don’t use them, you’re dead. Take the “chase”, probably a prerequisite in any thriller. The trick for a writer is to create an original chase. Something we’ve never seen before. On this point, check out the 7 minutes car chase in THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971). Still thrilling 40 years later.

Another unoriginal trope is the hero readying for the final battle with the villain. What did the makers do to turn that trope on its head in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS? Have the FBI turn up at the house of the killer and lead the audience to believe that Starling is on her way to interview a friend of the killer’s first victim. However, the FBI turns up at the wrong house and Clarice Starling ends up in the killer’s house. Great twist which makes you forgive the not so original cat and mouse game between Clarice and the serial killer …

What sets Thriller apart from other genres in your opinion?

It’s probably the most universal genre one can find. It’s always very visual and it works on the most visceral human emotions: fear, excitement, adrenaline, etc. For these reasons, a thriller can play in any country around the world. It doesn’t even need subtitles. The experience is so visual that anybody can understand the film. And film is, first and foremost, a visual medium.
Also the great thing about thrillers is that you can easily marry them with other genres. So you can have comedy thriller, psychological thriller, horror/thriller, sci fi thriller, etc. etc.

Why do you think Thriller is such a popular genre for producers – and why do you think spec Thrillers are so thin on the ground?

As stated above, it’s a genre which travels well and it’s also very malleable. Spec thrillers might be thin on the ground because it’s a very difficult genre too. It has been done to death and it is hard to come up with original takes on the genre.

What elements or subgenres would you like to see more of in produced Thrillers? 

Definitely psychological thrillers. Where is the next PSYCHO or SILENCE OF THE LAMBS?

What can writers do to improve their chances of getting their Thriller scripts noticed?

In one word: originality. Mix the genre with another one. Create protagonists that we care about. Find never-seen-before takes on the genre conventions/tropes: chases, murders, cat and mouse games (if you can’t, bring these cliches into the story in an original, surprising manner.) Use settings not seen before. Oh and ALWAYS create a memorable villain.

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UPDATE: ASSASSIN can now be ordered HERE.

So JK’s new movie, a dark Brit Hitman Thriller called ASSASSIN, goes into production TODAY!  For updates on the production, follow ASSASSINFilm on Twitter or “Like” the page on Facebook.

 

On a break from his duties as the landlord of The Vic, Danny Dyer takes you on a journey through the murky London underworld when ASSASSIN is released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Platforms on March 9th courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

From the producers of Rise of the Footsoldier and Fall of the Essex Boys, and starring Danny Dyer (Vendetta), Martin Kemp (The Krays) and Gary Kemp (The World’s End), ASSASSIN is the brutal, hard-hitting story of a former hitman out for revenge.

A story of the most corrupt crime bosses in the London underworld, and one man’s crusade to bring them to justice. A killer for hire (Dyer) breaks the rules of his profession when he falls for a beautiful young woman. But when the most notorious gangland brothers in London (Martin & Gary Kemp) hire him to kill his girlfriend’s father, his world breaks down and he must turn against his notoriously fearsome employers and their gang to save the woman he loves.

Don’t miss the chance to see Danny Dyer give a career defining performance when ASSASSIN is released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Platforms on March 9th.

Spy thriller Damascus Cover

Big Book Media produces this new feature based on a novel by Howard Kaplan. The film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, John Hurt, Igal Naor and Jurgen Prochnow, while Daniel Berk directs.

Production started this week in Morocco. Carnaby International will handle international sales. Principal photography is scheduled to take place in Casablanca from February 5 to March 23. Local Moroccan production company H Films backed the project.

The plot takes places in the late 1980s and focuses on a veteran spy sent undercover in Syria to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus.

View the full run down of titles here > http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/hot-projects-on-screenbase/5082859.article?blocktitle=UK-PRODUCTION-NEWS&contentID=40146

Everybody be cool, okay? Can you be cool? Sure? Okay, right. Here’s the thing. DANNY DYER HAS A NEW FILM OUT AND WE HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE CLIP FROM IT, OOOMMMGGG *RUNS AROUND SCREAMING*.

It will come as zero surprise to anyone who has so much as even glanced at Holy Moly that we love, adore, and idolise Double D so it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the proudest moments of our career.

Think it can’t get any better? Well, think again, Danny-loving friends. The film also stars Martin and Gary Kemp!

Watch the trailer here…

PRE-ORDER THE DVD:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Assassin-DVD-Danny-Dyer/dp/B00OUD7TPW

As the European Film Market in Berlin packs its bags for another year, London-based sales outfit Carnaby International has unveiled a slew of deals for upcoming Middle East espionage thriller Damascus Cover.

The film, now shooting in Morocco and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors, Mission Impossible: III), has been picked up by Gulf Films for the Middle East, PT Prima Cinema for Indonesia, Flins y Piniculas for Spain, Discovery for the former Yugoslavia, Mountain Pictures for South Korea and Malaysia’s KRU Group.

Producer Big Book Media has also been joined by Xeitgeist Entertainment Group as an official investment and production partner, with Xeitgeist’s Joe Thomas taking on a producer role alongside Hannah Leader (Gosford Park) and Huw Jones.

Also starring John Hurt and directed by Dan Berk, Damascus Cover is set in 1989 as the Berlin Wall falls amid a changing Europe. A veteran spy is sent to Syria undercover to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out, only to find himself marked for death after his mission unravels.

Iggy Pop was a “consummate professional” while shooting his new movie Blood Orange – and even rescued an injured stray cat during his time on set.

The punk icon has a lead role in the Ibiza-set film, playing a rock ‘n’ roll legend with a beautiful young wife whose idyllic Mediterranean lifestyle is interrupted when her vengeful ex-boyfriend arrives on the island.

Discussing the forthcoming film with Metro, director Toby Tobias hailed Pop’s performance as “a revelation”, explaining: “The film really hinges on his character. He’s the man with the plan and his combination of deep cool and natural charisma really shines through on camera.”

Tobias continued: “[Iggy] was such a gentleman and a consummate professional with a deadly sense of humour. He had a huge amount to take on board, both physically and mentally, and yet he always had time for every member of the crew. He even found time to rescue an injured stray cat!”

Blood Orange, which also stars Divergent actor Ben Lamb and The Inbetweeners‘ Kacey Barnfield, will be released later this year. Iggy Pop’s previous acting credits include supporting roles in the films Tank Girl, Cry-Baby and Sid And Nancy, as well as TV appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and American Dad!.

The film, which begins production in Morocco this week, will also star Olivia Thirlby (Juno, Dredd), Sir John Hurt, Igal Naor (Green Zone), Jurgen Prochnow (The Da Vinci Code) and Navid Negahban (Homeland).

London-based Carnaby International will handle worldwide sales and will begin pre-sales negotiations at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM) this week.

Deals have already been struck in several major territories and will be announced soon, according to a spokesman for the production.

The film, produced by UK-based Big Book Media, is based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Howard Kaplan.

Directed by Daniel Berk (Public Enemies) and produced by Hannah Leader (Lucky Number Slevin, Gosford Park), the film is an espionage action thriller set in the Syrian capital. Berk co-wrote the screenplay with Samantha Newton.

Rhys Meyers said: “I’m enormously excited about this role. This was a hugely significant time in the conflict in the Middle East, post-cold war and with the collapse of the Berlin Wall when an amount of spies were redeployed to the Middle East, where the theatre of covert operations would now take precedence.

“With a highly thoughtful and intelligent script by Daniel Berk and Samantha Newton I’m thrilled to be a part of this project and can’t wait to start shooting with a very gifted international cast and crew.”

Set in 1989, as the Berlin wall falls in Europe, the plot focuses on a veteran spy sent undercover in Syria to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus. Within days of his arrival he realises he’s being followed. His partner doesn’t show, his local contact disappears, and a group of men are trying to kill him. It’s not long before his routine mission unravels to reveal a string of murderous conspirators. Marked for death and caught in a maddening puzzle, he must race for survival.

The events and people in the script are based on true life events.

Principal photography is scheduled to take place in Casablanca from February 5 to March 23.

Supporting Big Book Media is local Moroccan production company, H Films, which recently shot Berlinale competition title Queen Of The Desert, directed by Werner Herzog and starring Nicole Kidman and Robert Pattinson.