LONDON, 11 May 2012: Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media, Hammer’s parent company, announced today that Sam Claflin (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES) has signed on to star opposite Jared Harris in THE QUIET ONES.
Claflin will play BRYAN MCNEIL in THE QUIET ONES, a supernatural thriller/horror to be directed by John Pogue (QUARANTINE 2) which James Gay-Rees (SENNA, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP) will produce in association with TPSC Films. With the story and original screenplay by Tom DeVille, revisions by Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman and most recently John Pogue, the film is currently in pre-production and will start shooting in June 2012 in the UK.
Inspired by true events, THE QUIET ONES tells the story of an unorthodox, but charismatic Professor (Harris) who uses controversial methods and leads his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: to create a poltergeist from negative human energy.
Exclusive Media’s President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions, Tobin Armbrust, is overseeing production alongside Director of Development, Shira Rockowitz. TPSC Film’s President, Steven Chester Prince, is a producer on the project for the newly formed independent film division of The Traveling Picture Show Company.
Alex Walton, Exclusive Media’s President of International Sales and Distribution, will be selling international rights to the film at the upcoming Marché Du Film in Cannes.
THE QUIET ONES marks Hammer’s next production after the worldwide box office hit, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which has taken over $130 million at the box-office worldwide to date.
Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media said: “Sam is an exciting young talent and a perfect addition to this thrilling project. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board THE QUIET ONES”
Claflin recently starred in Disney’s latest installment of the hit adventure fantasy franchise PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, WHITE HEAT (six part drama for BBC) and Channel 4’s critically acclaimed TV series ANY HUMAN HEART. He will next be seen in Universal’s Summer blockbuster release SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, starring opposite Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, to be released in the UK and the US on June 1st.
Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Its current production slate, available to buyers at Cannes, include the recently announced Cameron Diaz and Benicio Del Toro action comedy AGENT: CENTURY 21 to be directed by Adam Hashemi, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Brian Grazer, and Revolution Films to be released in the US through Universal; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera set for release through Open Road Films on September 28; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; and SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post-production and to be released in the US through Summit Entertainment
Exclusive Media will be offering a number of high profile third party productions at Cannes 2012 which currently include THÉRÈSE from producers Mickey Liddell and William Horberg, starring Jessica Lange, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Felton and Oscar Isaac; HIT AND RUN (aka OUTRUN) from writer/director Dax Shepard who also stars with Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper and Tom Arnold to be released in the US by Open Road Films on August 24; the ensemble DISCONNECT also produced by Horberg and Liddell with Jennifer Hilton; Sundance favorite ROBOT & FRANK starring Frank Langella to be released in the US through Sony Pictures and LOOK OF LOVE starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams, from producers Julie Lynn and Bonnie Curtis of Mockingbird Pictures.
ABOUT HAMMER
Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media, which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.
Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked its return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).
In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.
February 2012 saw the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman In Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film has taken over $ 100mm worldwide making it one of the biggest indie horror films.
Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In February 2012 the imprint published its first original title with the much-praised “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, which will be followed by an original novel about the Pendle witches, by Jeanette Winterson, and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon. Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films.
Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement.
For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com
ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEDIA
Exclusive Media is a vertically integrated global film entertainment company, founded in May 2008 with the backing of the strategic investment group Cyrte Investments. Exclusive Media develops, finances, produces, markets and distributes prestige and talent driven commercial and documentary feature films on a global basis.
Exclusive Media is run by a five member Executive Board with Nigel Sinclair as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guy East as Co-Chairman, Simon Oakes as Vice Chairman and President of Hammer, Marc Schipper as Chief Operating Officer, and Randy Hermann as Chief Financial Officer. Supporting the Executive Board in both the operational management and strategic expansion of the business is a strong team of highly skilled professionals who have a broad range of complementary experience.
Exclusive Media’s development and production activities operate through three specialist labels: UK based Hammer for genre titles, Spitfire Pictures for documentary features and the flagship label Exclusive Media for all other feature film production.
Exclusive Media’s international sales & distribution division maintains a strong marketing presence and represents the group’s in-house productions plus its growing library of over 550 titles, as well as actively acquiring third party feature films to further strengthen its international distribution slate.
For further information about the company, our slate of films, library and our experienced management team please visit www.exclusivemedia.com