Thriller ‘Phoenix Rises’, Rom-Com ‘Things Like This,’ Short ‘Darwin Fick’ Set Casts; Buffalo 8, Freestyle Acquisitions; More – Film Briefs
24.01.2022 - 20:27
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: WWE star Natalie Eva Marie is set to star alongside Randy Couture, Neal McDonough, former WWE tag team champion Oleg Prudius, Bai Lin and former UFC Lightweight champion Rashad Evans in Phoenix Rises, an action-thriller from Tadross Media Group, Bulldog Brothers Entertainment and director Daniel Zirilli that has entered production in Miami.
Phoenix Rises centers on Fiona “Phoenix” Grant (Marie), a U.S. Army veteran Sergeant who is teaching hand-to-hand combat skills in Afghanistan when she receives word that her father, Everett Grant (Couture), a prominent security specialist, has been killed in Florida. The police report says it was suicide, but Fiona doesn’t believe it. Encouraged to take a leave of absence by her commanding officer (McDonough), she heads back to the U.S. and soon learns that the prime suspect is Maxim Vasiliiev (Prudius), a ruthless local drug kingpin with an army of mercenaries and enough legal, political and business influence to keep him outside the law. Armed to the teeth, she plans to take out Vasiliiev with her bare hands, and nothing is going to stop her.
Zirilli adapted the film from a story he wrote with Alexander Nistratov. Michael Tadross, Jr., Bernard Saltzman and Alexander Nistratov are producing for Tadross Media Group and Bulldog Brothers Entertainment.
Couture is repped by Gersh and Xtreme Couture Management; McDonough by Buchwald, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Evans by The Spencer Firm.
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EXCLUSIVE: Joey Pollari (Love, Simon) and Bai Ling (Wild Wild West) will round out the cast of Things Like This, a romantic comedy marking the feature directorial debut of actor Max Talisman (Super Dark Times).
The film written by Talisman tells the story of