Dominic Cooper replaces Henry Cavill in ‘Stratton’

9 JULY, 2015 | BY MICHAEL ROSSER

EXCLUSIVE: Full cast for GFM Films-produced action thriller to also include Harry Potter star Tom Felton and Whiplash’s Austin Stowell; SquareOne takes German rights.

Dominic Cooper has swooped in to replace Henry Cavill in Special Forces action thriller Stratton, after the Man Of Steel star quit the production just days before shooting was set to begin in June.

London-based production company GFM Films has rescheduled principal photography to begin in Brindisi, Italy on July 15 before moving on to Rome, working together with Italian producers Eagle Pictures.  Production will then move from Rome to the UK for filming in London and surrounding locations.  

Cooper, the British actor who plays a young Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is also known for roles in Need For Speed, Dracula Untold and Mamma Mia!. Upcoming projects include Catherine Hardwicke’s Miss You Already, Nicholas Hytner’s The Lady In The Van and Duncan Jones’ fantasy epic Warcraft.

In Stratton, Cooper will play the titular role – a SBS (Special Boat Service) operative working alongside MI6 to prevent a terrorist attack in London.

Directed by Simon West (Con Air, The Expendables 2), the feature will be produced by GFM Films through Stratton Film Productions and is based on a series of books by ex-SBS agent Duncan Falconer.

West said of his new leading man: “Dominic Cooper’s talent, versatility and his originality as an actor, provide the perfect fit for what will be an entirely fresh and memorable action hero.”

Ensemble cast 

Cooper will star alongside an ensemble cast that includes Austin Stowell (Whiplash, Bridge of Spies) and Harry Potter star Tom Felton.

The young cast also includes Gemma Chan, currently seen in sci-fi series Humans having previously starred in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and Teen Wolf TV star Tyler Hoechlin

German star Thomas Kretschmann (Downfall, Valkyrie), veteran British actor Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) and rising RSC actor Jake Fairbrother complete the line-up. 

West added: “Supporting Dominic is an inspired choice of cast who are all extremely talented, uniquely diverse and will undeniably bring both charm and energy to make Stratton the ongoing potential franchise we know it can be.”

Cavill drops out

Shooting had been due to start on June 2 but Cavill pulled out less than a week before filming was set to begin.

The British actor, who will next be seen in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, was understood to have had a different vision of what the film should be and wanted to delay production until September.

GFM Films, which is providing finance and worldwide sales, took the project to the Marché du Film in Cannes in May and had to scramble to inform distributors of the change following discussions at the market.

GFM Films co-founder Guy Collins said: “It has been exceptionally hectic over the last five to six weeks since Cannes as we worked to restructure the film and secure this cool cast.  

“It has only been possible through the efforts and commitment of our casting agent Debbie McWilliams and her team, the GFM team, and the support of the film’s key producing team – Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman and Matthew Jenkins - and director, Simon West, who has been superbly professional and committed to the movie.”

German distributor

Collins added that SquareOne Entertainment has secured rights to distribute the film in Germany.

“A number of key distributors have stood by the film during this difficult period and it was great to close the territory of German-speaking Europe last week with Al Munteanu’s SquareOne, based on this cast,” he confirmed.

Stratton a GFM Films production through Stratton Film Productions Ltd, financially supported by Swiss Corporation Halston Ltd, UK based White & Company Chartered Accountants and Ober Private Clients Limited. 

Screen Daily Review for supernatural thriller "Djinn" starring Aiysha Hart

Djinn-ScreenDaily

25 October, 2013 | By Mark Adams, chief film critic

Dir: Tobe Hooper. UAE. 2013. 86mins

Tobe Hooper’s much-anticipated and long in post production United Arab Emirates’ set supernatural thriller Djinn finally had its world premiere at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, delivering some nicely sustained spooky shocks, a shrewd sense of place and atmosphere and enough ghostly goings-on the keep genre fans happy. It is no gore fest – but then over-the-top bloodletting has never really been Hooper’s trademark – but instead Djinn is a tight , taut and rather traditional supernatural tale.

The film is sensibly tight and short, and while offering little new in terms of effects, plot-twists or performance,Djinn is a watchable and generally enjoyable supernatural chiller.

There was initial high expectation around the film given it was set and funded in the UAE, produced by Image Nation and performed in both Arabic and English. Its theatrical release has been delayed since 2011 – leading to various rumours in the genre media – but the fact that it had its premiere at a sold-out ADFF screening points to loose ends finally being tied up and post-production at last completed.

Much has been made about the film being the first Emirati horror film (though recent low-budget films such as Lockdown: Red Moon Escape in 2012 and 2010’s The Curse Of The Devil are also resolutely genre tales) with the region not having a deep tradition in horror films. But certainly the ghostly djinn only rarely crop up in films (apart from the Wishmaster series), though in their friendlier guise as genies they have long been fantasy film regulars.

The film opens with a little djinn background, explaining that these spiritual creatures exists in a world unseen by humans, but along with humans and angels make up three sapient creations of God. The scene-setter sees three men – one American and two Emirati – speed into the desert to eat and drink at an abandoned fishing village called Al Hamra, where legend has it the community was abandoned after malevolent beings haunted the inhabitants.

In a nicely staged sequence the three are attacked, with the American finally coming to a sticky end alongside his flash SUV, stalked by djinn who seem to have control over his car’s central locking as well as appearing in a terrifying dark and misty shape, with sharp teeth and clawed hands.

The film then switches to New York, where couple Salama (Razane Jammal) and Khalid (Khalid Laith) are having counseling to try and get over the death of their baby. The therapist thinks they should move back to the UAE  where Khalid  (who has no parents, while she has family there) has been offered a big new job, and despite Salama’s desire to stay in the US is worn down by the pair.

Returning home, it transpires his company has rented them a plush apartment in a new luxury but remote apartment block called Al Hamra, that – guess what – has been built on that old abandoned fishing village. Salama is increasingly unsettled in the strange new surroundings, eerie hallways, over-attentive security guard and their vampish neighbour Sarah (a suitably sultry Aiysha Hart) as she also has to try and deal with her sense of guilt over their child’s death.

The scene is set for djinn to start preying on Salama and Khalid, with their plus apartment building an increasingly terrifying place as these dark spectres stalk them and bring terror and death,

The film is sensibly tight and short, and while offering little new in terms of effects, plot-twists or performance, Djinnis a watchable and generally enjoyable supernatural chiller. An attack on Salama’s family’s car is especially well staged; observing djinn via security cameras reminds of the Paranormal Activity films, and the design of the eerie apartment corridors helps ramp up the atmosphere. There is nothing massively distinctive about Djinn, but Tobe Hooper delivers solid horror thrills, given an additional realistic edge having been shot in the UAE and using local talent.

Production company: Image Nation Abu Dhabi

International sales: Fortissimo Films, www.fortissimo.nl

Producers: Tim Smythe, Daniela Tully

Screenplay: David Tully

Cinematography: Joel Ransom

Editors: Andrew Cohen, Mark Stevens

Production designer: Brentan Harron

Main cast: Razane Jammal, Khalid Laith, Aiysha Hart, May El Calamawy, Abdullah Al Junaibi, Carol Abboud, Carole Abboud, Paul Luebke, Ahmed Abdullah, Saoud Al Kaabi