Production Wraps On Film Adaptation Of The International Bestselling Franchise Fallen

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 15, 2014 – Mayhem Pictures, Lotus Entertainment, and Silver Reel announced today that production for FALLEN, the much anticipated feature film adaptation of Lauren Kate's worldwide bestselling young adult novel, has officially wrapped.  The film was shot primarily on location in and around Budapest, Hungary.

 

FALLEN stars Addison Timlin (Stand Up Guys), Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), Harrison Gilbertson (Need For Speed) alongside Joely Richardson (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo).  Lola Kirke (Gone Girl) along with  Sianoa Smit-McPhee (Hung), Daisy Head (Endeavour), Hermione Corfield (Maleficent) and Malachi Kirby (My Brother the Devil) round out the cast.

 

Australian filmmaker Scott Hicks (Shine) directed the film with a script by Michael Ross. The original screenplay was adapted by Kathryn Price and Nicole Millard.  Scott Hicks' creative team includes director of photography Alar Kivilo (The Blind Side), production designer Barbara Ling (The Lucky One), editor Scott Gray (Top of the Lake), costume designer Bojana Nikitovic (Marie Antoinette) and BAFTA winning makeup and hair artist Sallie Jaye (Wings of the Dove).

 

"I'm delighted to have directed the film FALLEN, based on Lauren Kate's best-selling novel. I was drawn in by the intriguing premise of the story, the powerful array of memorable characters, and in particular the timeless romance between Luce and Daniel. I'm thrilled to have assembled a very fine cast, featuring the exceptionally promising talents of Addison, Jeremy and Harrison, and I have enjoyed working with them, together with the remarkable Joely Richardson, over the past months," says Hicks. 

 

Based on the worldwide bestselling book series, FALLEN is seen through the eyes of Lucinda "Luce" Price, a strong-willed seventeen-year-old living a seemingly ordinary life until she is accused of a crime she didn't commit.  Sent off to the imposing Sword & Cross reform school, Luce finds herself being courted by two young men to whom she feels oddly connected.  Isolated and haunted by strange visions, Luce begins to unravel the secrets of her past and discovers the two men are fallen angels, competing for her love for centuries.  Luce must choose where her feelings lie, pitting Heaven against Hell in an epic battle over true love.

 

Published in 2009 from debut author Lauren Kate; FALLEN topped the New York Time's best sellers list, inspiring by three sequels to complete the series.  To date the series has sold over 9 million copies across 30 countries around the world.

 

"Luce and Daniel's story created a global community of fans. I think of this movie as a love letter to them" said Kate.

 

Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray of Mayhem Pictures serve as producers alongside Bill Johnson of Lotus Entertainment and Claudia Bluemhuber of Silver Reel. Jim Seibel and Campbell McInnes of Lotus, Florian Dargel from Silver Reel, Michael Stearns and Ted Malawar of Upstart Crow and Lauren Kate are executive producers.  In addition, Todd Murata of Mayhem and Kerry Heysen-Hicks serve as co-producers.  Silver Reel is financing the project with Lotus handling foreign sales.

 

Distribution rights to the film have been sold for worldwide territories. 

 

 

About Mayhem Pictures:

Mayhem Pictures, founded by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, has established an indelible brand of quality entertainment with broad appeal. The company's first film, The Rookie (2002), starring Dennis Quaid, was a critical and commercial success, further feature films followed: Miracle (2004), starring Kurt Russell, and Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg.  All three were distributed through Walt Disney Pictures.

Mayhem's thriving collaboration with Walt Disney Studios includes The Game Plan, the hit family comedy starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, which opened No. 1 for two consecutive weeks at the domestic box office and grossed nearly $148 million worldwide. 

Mayhem also produced Walt Disney Pictures' Secretariat, which opened in October 2010 grossing nearly $60 million in domestic box office. It earned the note­worthy distinction of being the top holding film that year. 

Mayhem's upcoming film, Disney's Million Dollar Arm, stars Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Alan Arkin and is directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) and written by Thomas McCarthy (The Visitor, Win Win).  Also, due out in November is Disney'sMcFarland, directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country)and starring Kevin Costner.

Mayhem also made its first foray into television with the award-winning documentary Big Shot, directed by Kevin Connolly (Entourage).  Big Shot aired as part of ESPN's acclaimed 30 for 30 series in the Fall of 2013.

Located in Santa Monica, Mayhem has enjoyed an overall production deal with Walt Disney Studios for the past twelve years.  Both Ciardi and Gray are members of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

About Lotus Entertainment:

Over the past 10 years, industry veterans Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson

have built an expansive body of work in financing, production and international distribution of major motion pictures. Working with A-List actors, directors and producers, Seibel and Johnson have arranged production financing in excess of $700 million through their  impressive filmography.

 

With an experienced management team and full- fledged development, production, sales, marketing, publicity, delivery, accounting, legal and admin support, Lotus Entertainment is considered a top destination for first class feature films. Lotus is currently producing and arranging financing on 3 to 4 feature films per year in addition to handling international sales on other productions.

 

About Silver Reel:

Claudia Blümhuber is CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Reel Partners. In this function she has financed and executive produced a wide range of independently produced motion pictures, including: Jonathans Glazer's Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson, Tanya Wexler's Hysteria, starring Maggie Gyllenhal, Andrew Niccol's screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's bestseller The Host, following her block buster Twilight Series, Jonathan Teplitzky's The Railway Man starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, and Grace of Monaco, directed by Olivier Dahan and starring as well Nicole Kidman.

 

The latest project, still in post-production, is Solace, directed by Afonso Poyart and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell.

 

Claudia has over 20 years of experience in the media industry and 15 years of experience in private equity and asset management. During this time, Claudia has been focused on investing family office resources as well as institutional monies in absolute return and non-correlated alternative investment opportunities, with a special bias on the entertainment sector. These activities include equity, mezzanine and debt investments, both in project and corporate financing.

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