QED International and Prime Universe Productions have purchased a feature film pitch concept by Felipe Linz and hired writer Morgan Foehl to write the screenplay based on the original idea.
Story details are being kept under wraps, but the project, with the working title Alien Sleeper Cell, is described as an high tension alien invasion picture with the tone of The Bourne Identity and with a very fresh and surprising take on the genre. QED’s Bill Block, and Paul Hanson brought the treatment to Adrian Askarieh, who immediately saw the story’s potential and raised development funds for the screenplay. Block, Hanson and Askarieh will produce along with Linz and Prolific Entertainment partner, Will Rowbotham. Fran Durekas will Executive Produce along with Vincent Bruzzese, President of the Worldwide Motion Picture Group at Ipsos OTX Media CT.
The producing team met with several screenwriters and ultimately sparked to a Take by Foehl and moved quickly to close a deal with the writer. Once the screenplay is complete, QED and Prime Universe will package the project for independent financing or partner with a major studio to fund production.
Bill Block’s QED recently financed and produced District 9, the $30 million alien apartheid action thriller produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neill Blomkamp that went on to gross $210 million worldwide. QED’s next film, The Fields, is in post-production and being produced by acclaimed director Michael Mann and stars Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chloe Moretz.
This marks the second project Askarieh, though his company, Prime Universe, has raised independent Development capital for in the last year. In March of 2010, Prime Universe inked a deal with Eric Eisner’s L+E Productions to finance development of a feature adaptation of the hit Eidos video game franchise Just Cause. Michael Ross (Turistas) was hired in October to write the screenplay. Askarieh’s credits include Hitman for 20th Century Fox and the upcoming Kane and Lynch.
Linz previously worked as a development executive for David Friendly Productions, with a stint at Alloy Entertainment, before deciding to focus on developing original ideas with an eye to produce.
Morgan Davis Foehl is a former film and television editor whose credits include “Rescue Me” and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. His original screenplay Whatever Gets You Through the Night was featured on the 2009 Black List. He just adapted the Top Cow graphic novel Crosshair for the screen for Mandeville Films. Morgan is represented by WME, Wirehouse Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman.
