A RELIANCE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
ALLIANCE FILMS
Presents in associationwith IM GLOBAL
A BLUMHOUSE and AUTOMATIK
PRODUCTION
SINISTER
DIRECTED BY
SCOTT DERRICKSON
Starring:
Ethan Hawke
Opening October 5, 2012
Running time:
PUBLICITY CONTACTS:
Bonnie Voland, IM Global: / +1.310.777.3590
FILMMAKERS
DirectorScott Derrickson
Written byScott Derrickson & Robert Cargill
Produced byJason Blum, Brian Kavanuagh-Jones,
Executive ProducersCharles Layton & Scott Derrickson
CinematographerChristopherNorr
Production DesignerDavid Brisbin
EditorFrédéricThoraval
Music byChristopher Young
Costume DesignerAbby O’Sullivan
Casting by Sheila Jaffec.s.a and Ruth Salen
SHORT SYNOPSIS
SINISTER is a frightening new thrillerfrom the producer of the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY films and the writer-director of THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. Ethan Hawke plays atrue crime novelist who discovers a box of mysterious, disturbing home movies that plunge his family into a nightmarish experience of supernatural horror.
SHOOTING LOCATIONS
Sinister's super 8 material for Mr. Boogie's movies were all shot in Los Angeles. The main unit shot in a house in Port Washington, Long Island, New York. We also had one day of stage work in New York City.
ABOUT THE CAST
Ethan Hawke (Ellison), born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role. He then appeared in such films as White Fang (1991), A Midnight Clear (1992), and Alive (1993) before taking a role in the 1994 Generation X drama Reality Bites, for which he gained critical acclaim. In 1995, he starred in the romantic drama Before Sunrise, and later in the 2004 sequel Before Sunset. In 2005, he received his first screenwriting Oscar nomination for co-writing the 2004 film, 'Before Sunset' (a sequel to 'Before Sunrise').
In 2006 Hawke was cast in a supporting role in 'Fast Food Nation' and then directed 'The Hottest State' based on his 1996 novel. 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' was Hawke's first film in 2007, before starring in 'What Doesn't Kill You' in 2008 and 'New York I Love You' and 'Staten Island' in 2009. His last film role was in 2010 when Hawke played a vampire researcher trying to save humanity from extinction in the box-office hit 'Daybreakers'. He will next appear in 'Total Recall' in 2012.
In 2001, Hawke was cast as a rookie police officer in Training Day, for which he received a Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. Other films have included the science fiction feature Gattaca (1997), the title role in Michael Almereyda'sHamlet (2000), the action thriller Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), and the crime drama Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007).
Hawke has appeared in many theater productions including The Seagull, Henry IV, Hurlyburly, The Cherry Orchard, The Winter's Tale and The Coast of Utopia, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination. He made his directorial debut with the 2002 independent feature Chelsea Walls. In November 2007 Hawke directed his first play, Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want. Aside from acting, he has written two novels, The Hottest State (1996) and Ash Wednesday (2002). Between 1998 and 2004, Hawke was married to actress Uma Thurman.
Juliet Rylance (Tracy) is known for Animal, Untitled Christian Camargo Project, and Sinister. She graduated from RADA in 2002. In 2009, she was nominated for a Lucille Lortell Award for Best Actress, for playing Desdemona in Theatre for a New Audience’s “Othello.” In 2010 she won an OBIE Award for Best Actress, for playing Rosalind in The Bridge Project’s production of “As You Like It,” directed by Sam Mendes. She has had significant roles in many other Shakespeare plays. In 2011, she played Irina in Classic Stage Company’s production of “Three Sisters” with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessica Hecht. In 2012, she will appear in Adam Shaw, which is currently in post-production.
Fred Dalton Thompson (Sheriff), born August 19, 1942, is an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio host. Thompson, a Republican, served in the United States Senate representing Tennessee from 1994 to 2003.
Thompson served as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board at the United States Department of State, was a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence.
As an actor, Thompson has appeared in a large number of movies and television shows. He has frequently portrayed governmental figures. In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, playing Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch.
In May 2007 he took a break from acting in order to run for the Republican nomination for president in the 2008 election, winning 11 delegates before dropping out of the race in January 2008. In 2009 he returned to acting with a guest appearance on the ABC television series Life on Mars and in the movie Alleged, about the Scopes Trial. In May 2010, he released his book “Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances.
James Ransone (Deputy) is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as ZiggySobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill. At the age of twenty-seven Ransone had developed a heroin habit and a debt of $30,000, but radically altered his lifestyle in moving to Namibia for eight months, undergoing immersion into his role as Person in Generation Kill. He appears in a small recurring role in the HBO series Treme.In 2011, Ransone and Michael Zegen were cast in recurring roles in the HBO comedy series How to Make It in America.
Clare Foley (Ashley) is known for Win Win, All Adventurous Women Do, and Hannah’s Diary.Upcoming films include Shakespeare’s Daughter and the short Same Ghost Every Night.On the television front, Foley has appeared in Girls, The Colbert Report, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Team Umizoomi. Commercials in 2011 include 100camera’s.org, National Price Waterhouse, and Kaiser Permanente. Credited Years: 2006-2013
Michael Hall D’Addario (Trevor) lives in Long Island, New York, with his mom, dad, and brother, Brian D'Addario, who is also an actor. Michael started acting in community and regional theatre at the age of 6. He appeared in the Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's Tony award-winning play, The Coast of Utopia, at Lincoln Center Theatre in 2006. In the winter of 2007, Michael was lucky enough to land the role of Ben in the 75th Anniversary Radio City Christmas Spectacular, where he had the opportunity to fly to the North Pole with Santa every day. Michael also voiced the lead character of Leo in the NBC animated Christmas special "Little Spirit: Christmas in New York" December, 2008. He played Bert in the 2008-2009 Broadway production of "All My Sons," starring John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and Katie Holmes. Television appearances include Are We There Yet?, The Wonder Pets,and John Adams.
Like his brother, Brian, Michael's favorite pastime is playing rock & roll. He has been playing drums since he was 5 years old and now plays in the band "Members of the Press," with his brother Brian on guitar and friends Thomas Murphy on bass guitar and Anthony Ayala on keyboards. The band plays original material as well as classic rock songs.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Scott Derrickson(Director, Writer) was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Biola University with a B.A. in Humanities with an emphasis in literature and philosophy, a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in film, and a minor in theological studies. He earned his M.A. in film production from USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Derrickson co-wrote and directed the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which was loosely based on a true story about Anneliese Michel. The film won the 2005 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, and in 2006, was named in the Chicago Film Critics Association list of the Top 100 Scariest Films Ever Made. As of October 31, 2008, The Exorcism of Emily Rose had made over $140 million worldwide.
Derrickson also directed The Day the Earth Stood Still starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, written by David Scarpa. The film was released in late 2008 and earned over $230 million worldwide.
In August 2011, Derrickson teamed up with producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity,Insidious) and directed Sinister - a mystery-horror film starring Ethan Hawke that centers around a crime. The film is set to be released in theaters by Summit Entertainment on October 5, 2012.
Derrickson is currently attached to direct an adaptation of Dan Simmons' Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion for Warner Brothers, and Equinox for Voltage Pictures. He is also writing and directing a remake of the Danish thriller The Substitute, which is being produced by Sam Raimi, and the Lakeshore Entertainment supernatural suspense thriller The Living.
In January 2011, it was announced that Derrickson will direct Goliath. The new feature will be a period, biblical action movie made with contemporary sensibilities, singling out 300 as a reference point.In October 2011, it was announced that Derrickson will write and direct the horror-thriller Two Eyes Staring for Summit Entertainment, starring CharlizeTheron.
Derrickson is also writing and will direct the 2012 television pilot Thunderstruck for AMC and BattlestarGalactica producer David Eick.His script for DEVIL'S KNOT is currently in production, directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth.
Jason Blum (Producer) Since launching Blumhouse in 2000, Jason Blum has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking for the global marketplace through the production of ultra-low-budget films designed for wide release.
His credits include Paranormal Activity 1,2, and 3, which together have grossed more than $600 million worldwide, and James Wan’sInsidious, which was one of the most profitable films of 2011. Blumhouse is also producing such upcoming films as Paranormal Activity 4 for Paramount, Insidious 2 for FilmDistrict, Sinister with Ethan Hawke for Lionsgate/Summit, Joe Johnston’s Not Safe For Work for Universal, Rob Zombie’s Lords of Salem, and the Jay Chandasekhar comedy The Baby Makers. Blum is also one of the executive producers of ABC’s mid-season drama The River, a horror thriller starring Bruce Greenwood.
Currently Blumhouse has a first-look film deal with Universal Pictures and a first-look television deal with Lionsgate. Blumhouse also jointly owns Angle Films with Paul Brooks’ Gold Circle Films. Angle Films also has a first-look deal at Universal Pictures. Its mandate is to finance and produce genre films with budgets ranging from $15 to $30 million. In addition, Blum is partnered with Scott Hanson on the BlumHansonAllen Film Fund, through which he is executive producing The Wettest County In the World, directed by John Hillcoat and starring ShiaLaBeouf and Tom Hardy.
Blum's other film credits include The Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Reader, directed by Stephen Daldry, for which Kate Winslet won an Academy Award; The Accidental Husband, starring Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan; The Fever, starring Vanessa Redgrave and based on a play by Wallace Shawn, Hysterical Blindness, starring Uma Thurman, GenaRowlands, and Juliette Lewis which aired on HBO and garnered Thurman a Golden Globe Award; and Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke, Bill Murray, Sam Shepard and Kyle MacLachlan.
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones(Producer) is currently the president of Automatik, a Los Angeles based production and financing company. Automatik is a joint venture between IM Global and Alliance Films.
Kavanaugh-Jones executive produced Insidious, 2011's most profitable film, directed by Saw's James Wan and produced alongside Jason Blum, as well as Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter and the Strause Brothers' Skyline. Some of Automatik's upcoming films to be released in 2012 include: Safe, starring Jason Statham, directed by Boaz Yakin; A Bullet To The Head, starring Sylvestor Stallone, directed by Walter Hill; Welcome To The Punch, starring James McAvoy and Mark Strong, directed by EranCreevy; The Bay, directed by Barry Levinson; Lords of Salem, directed by Rob Zombie. Currently, Automatik is in production on severalother features as well, including: Dead Man Down, starring Colin Farrell and NoomiRapace, to be directed by Niels Arden Oplev and Hummingbird, starring Jason Statham, to be directed by Steven Knight.
Charles Layton(Executive Producer) is President of Alliance Films. Prior to Alliance Films he was Executive Vice President of The Weinstein Company and, before that, Miramax Films. He is a graduate of the NYU Film School and has a Masters degree from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Jeanette Brill(Associate Producer) has over twenty years of production experience working in the film, TV, and music video industries. In 1995 she landed at Sony Pictures Imageworks as Visual Effects Coordinator on “James and the Giant Peach”. This leap would give her the technical foundation for the new digital mediums used in filmmaking today. Her work at Sony continued for two years, working on such projects as “Money Train” and “Michael”.
In April 1997, Jeanette took a position at Mill Film in London as a VFX Associate Producer. This opportunity of working abroad gave her the beginnings of working in film on a global level. During her two years there, she helped to set up a new film division and worked on “Lost in Space”, “Waking Ned Devine”, “Enemy of the State”, “Hilary and Jackie”, and “Still Crazy”.
Since establishing CatchLight in 1999 she has served as an executive producer for romantic comedies “In the Weed” and “Amy’s Orgasm” and Producer for the documentaries “Red, White and Buddha”, and “World Festival of Sacred Music”, and feature films “Break a Leg”, and “Heart of the Beholder”. As a gun for hire line producer she has worked on several independent features and projects including “Krews”, “Rings” which was picked up by Dreamworks, and “Six Billion Paths to Peace” with the Shinnyo-en Foundation. Her latest accomplishments have been line producing for Producer Jason Blum on the blockbuster hits “Paranormal Activity 1, 2 and 3”, Oren Peli’s follow up “Area 51”, Sony’s release of James Wan’s film “Insidious” and Barry Levinson’s environmental thriller, “The Bay”, among other soon to be released films. In 2012 she joined Blumhouse as the Head of Production.
Bailey Conway(Associate Producer) After working in the Film Finance Division at Creative Artists Agency, Conway joined Automatik at its inception in April 2010 to run the day-to-day operations of the company and shepherd development and production. She just completed principal photography on Jay Chandrasekhar’s The Babymakers starring Paul Schneider and Olivia Munn where she served as Associate Producer. She is currently involved in numerous features including Safe, starring Jason Statham; Bullet to the Head, starring Sylvester Stallone; Insidious, directed by James Wan; and The Bay, directed by Barry Levinson.
Prior to joining Automatik, Conway served as Executive Assistant to Paula Wagner (former CEO of United Artists) where she oversaw Ms. Wagner’s daily operations, managed all of her business relationships and presided over development. Before that, she was the Acquisition/Creative Executive for The Steel Company, a first-rate consultant to foreign film distributors. Conway graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Jessica Hall (Associate Producer), Director of Development at Blumhouse Productions, joined Blumhouse in 2010. Through their deal at Universal, the company is focused on making low-budget, wide-release genre movies. Jessica is involved with over 50 projects in various stages of production and development, including MOCKINGBIRD, PLUSH, DARK SKIES, CURVE, THE BAY, THE BABYMAKERS, SINISTER, and LORDS OF SALEM, as well as the 2011 releases PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 and INSIDIOUS.
After joining the DreamWorks story department in 2006, Jessica served as Executive Assistant to Marc Haimes, a Senior Production Executive, working on the development, production and distribution of such films as HOTEL FOR DOGS, THE HEARTBREAK KID, DISTURBIA and TRANSFORMERS I & II. In 2009, Jessica joined Marc to form Elevation Pictures where she was promoted to Creative Executive. The company’s first two specs, ELEVATOR MEN and JITTERS, sold to Summit Entertainment and Paramount, respectively.
Christopher Norr (Cinematographer) Cinematography literally runs in Christopher’s blood. His father Carl Norr is an award-winning commercial D.P. who from a very early age engendered in his son a love for the beauty of the moving image. Conscious of also instilling a work ethic, Carl had Chris loading mags by his side at the age of 13 and by the age of 18 Chris was getting paid to shoot short films.