Press Release
Powerhouse film financing and sales company IM Global and Radical Pictures, a subsidiary of fast expanding multimedia company Radical Studios, are partnering on high-concept crime thriller THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, it was announced jointly today by IM Global CEO and Founder Stuart Ford and Radical’s Barry Levine and Jesse Berger.
The action thriller is based on the best-selling Radical graphic novel written by Rick Remender, with a script by Karl Gadejsak, starring Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans, Terminator: Salvation), whose Full Clip Productions label is producing alongside Automatik. F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen, The Italian Job, The Negotiator) is attached to direct the film with a Fall 2011 start date.
Michael Schwarz of Full Clip Productions will produce alongside Radical’s Levine and Berger. Executive Producers will be IM Global’s Ford, Worthington and Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.
THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME is a hard-boiled heist film set in the very near future where the government plans to implement a form of legal mind control, making it impossible for its citizens to commit unlawful acts. Career criminal Graham Bricke (Sam Worthington) must put together the last heist in American history – on the last night crime is possible.
Said Ford: “This is such a powerful, iconic piece of material – we really believe this movie can bring something fresh to the noir universe and become an explosive action feature film. We’re delighted to be working alongside the super talented Radical team, Gary and Sam.”
Said Levine: “THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME graphic novel is one of the most coveted titles in the Radical catalogue and our most successful international seller. In the development of this film, we have always been committed to staying true to the core material because that is what attracted Full Clip principals Michael Schwarz, John Schwarz and Sam in the first place and is what brought us together with IM Global. Radical is proud to be making a film that will both appeal to a global audience, as well as fans of the graphic novel.”
ABOUT IM GLOBAL
CEO Stuart Ford founded IM Global in 2007. The company is one of the leading film financing, sales and distribution companies in the world, championing a wide variety of cinema, including mainstream commercial, art house, foreign language and genre fare. The company is now comprised of six divisions: IM Global Opus, for mainstream, commercial cinema; IM Global Acclaim, for critically acclaimed arthouse and specialty cinema; IM Global Anthem, for the best of non-English language cinema from around the world; IM Global Octane, for branded genre fare; IM Global Apsara, a rights acquisition and distribution vehicle that serves the rapidly evolving Asian markets across growing theatrical, digital and VOD distribution platforms.; and AUTOMATIK, a production and financing joint venture with Alliance Films focused on films in the $5 million – $15 million range. Highlights of IM Global’s current slate include the $45 million DREDD, in 3D, which IM Global is co-financing with parent company Reliance Big Entertainment with Lionsgate distributing in the U.S.; SAFE, starring Jason Statham, which is financed by IM Global with Lionsgate distributing in the U.S.; THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, which the company is partnering on with fast expanding multimedia and publishing company Radical Studios; WALKING WITH DINOSAURS 3D, financed by Reliance with Twentieth Century Fox distributing in the U.S.; $25 million 3D wildlife feature ENCHANTED KINGDOM, financed by the company and Reliance; and the documentary feature ONE LIFE, narrated by Daniel Craig which will be released later this year; WELCOME TO THE PUNCH, starring James McAvoy, which is financed by IM Global and Alliance joint venture Automatik; W.E., directed by Madonna; shark thriller DARK TIDE, starring Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez; Barry Levinson’s apocalyptic thriller THE BAY; and Sundance and Berlinale official selection, ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN. Other prominent successes the company has enjoyed are worldwide box office smash hit PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, Tom Ford’s critically acclaimed A SINGLE MAN, and special effects bonanza SKYLINE. In May 2010, Reliance Entertainment, part of Indian conglomerate Reliance ADA Group, acquired a majority shareholding in the company.
ABOUT RADICAL STUDIOS
Radical Studios is an international multimedia entertainment company, founded in 2007 by Barry Levine and Jesse Berger, with active operations across seven subsidiary divisions: Pictures, Interactive, Television, Publishing, Toys, Music and Radical Asia. Currently, Radical Pictures is producing HERCULES at MGM; HORIZONS, with Joe Kosinski directing and Tom Cruise attached to star; THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, starring Sam Worthington, to be directed by F. Gary Gray, with financing through IM Global; EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS at DreamWorks Studios, to be directed by Sam Raimi; FREEDOM FORMULA at New Regency with Bryan Singer producing with an eye to direct; and films in active pre-production with Warner Bros., Fox, and Relativity Media. Radical Publishing currently has 30 titles in circulation in 9 countries, and a catalog containing more than 70 properties and 1000 characters. In 2008, Radical Publishing received the Gem Award for “Best New Publisher of the Year” from Diamond Comic Distributors for publishing quality and excellence.
ABOUT FULL CLIP PRODUCTIONS
Full Clip Production is a multimedia production company founded by Sam Worthington, Michael Schwarz, and John Schwarz in 2010. The company has an imprint deal with Radical Publishing to develop intellectual property to be released by Radical. The first project under the imprint is the six part comic book series DAMAGED, written by Eisner Award winner David Lapham (Stray Bullets), which will release in Summer 2011. Full Clip’s slate also includes ALLAN QUATERMAIN with DreamWorks Studios and THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, partnered with Radical Pictures and IM Global with Worthington attached to star and F. Gary Gray directing. The company also has a first-look television development pact with NBC Universal International to develop television projects for the global marketplace.
