Screen Yorkshire backs $25m US action film

Stealth Media Film Investments learnt today that the regional screen agency Screen Yorkshire made its biggest investment to date in the US action film Hunter’s Prayer. The US-UK co-production is based on the novel For The Dogs by Kevin Wignall.

Avatar star Sam Worthington is set to play the lead role and the film will be directed by Jonathan Mostow who lensed Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The production is due to start filming in the UK and Hungary in 2015.

Dramatic impact on production levels
Screen Yorkshire declined to comment on that exact amount of funding it had committed to but executive producer Hugo Heppell, head of investments at Screen Yorkshire, said: ‘’The Yorkshire Content Fund continues to have a dramatic impact on production levels in the region.

“This latest investment is highly significant as it demonstrates that Yorkshire is now able to attract - and host - big budget international feature films, as well as major sporting events like the Tour de France.’’

Regional film investment

Screen Yorkshire is making this investment through the Yorkshire Content Fund which is the largest regional investment fund for production in the UK. It’s backed by the European Regional Development Fund. The fund is available to film, TV, games and digital producers based in or outside of Yorkshire.

Screen Yorkshire have made recent investments into Peaky Binders, Get Santa, Catch me Daddy and ’71. In the past the fund also backed Peter Stricklands’ Berberian Sound Studio amongst others.

Hunter’s Prayer

The film follows the story of a lone assassin who is hired to kill a young girl but can’t bring himself to complete the task. Eventually both the girl, and the assassin are forced to go on the run across Europe.

Casting is currently underway for the female lead. Both Emma Roberts and Hailee Steinfield have been previously linked to the film but the female star has yet to be confirmed.

Welcome investment in the regions

Stealth Media Film Investments welcomes this great news for the UK industry and production in the regions. It’s encouraging seeing Screen Yorkshire partner with the American film industry on high budget, high concept, productions.

The Yorkshire Content Fund does a sterling job of attracting high profile production to the Yorkshire area, which is rich in scenic locations but also has a high level of skilled production talent local to the region.