Armory Films to Produce Alongside DNF Pictures & K. JAM Media
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Producers Kia Jam of K.JAM MEDIA (Lucky Number Slevin, THE MISFITS), Christopher Lemole and Tim Zajaros of Armory Films (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Arctic, Mudbound), DNF Pictures’ Dean Altit (Realms, THE MISFITS) and Academy Award winner Barrie Osborne (LORD OF THE RINGS, THE MATRIX, MULAN) announced that Raja Gosnell (The Smurfs franchise, Scooby Doo, Never Been Kissed) has signed on to direct the live-action family film Santa: The Adventure Begins from a script penned by Tamara Taillie in her feature film debut.
Santa: The Adventure Begins will bring the world’s most beloved and recognizable mythical persona to life in an exciting holiday epic. This legendary story of Santa Claus reveals his humble origins as an orphan and young would-be toymaker. In a quest to know his true identity, Santa embarks upon a journey to the forbidden North. With a little help from his friends, Santa discovers the source of his extraordinary magic, and we learn how Santa finds his true love, his forever home and his destiny. Marisol Roncali and Chelsea Bloch (Deadpool 2, Fast &Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Jungle Cruise) are currently casting with principal photography set to begin late this year in Cologne, Germany, in cooperation with MMC Studios.
Producer Kia Jam commented: “My producing partners and I are thrilled to have Raja on board as our director for this film. He has proven time and time again that he is the master of family films and is the perfect film maker for us and our origin story of Santa Claus.”
Armory Films’ Christopher Lemole told us: “This is a fantastic Santa origin story and we can’t think of anyone better than Raja to direct. We are very much looking forward to the world he is about to create.”
Gosnell has directed such films as: Columbia Pictures’ The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2; Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua; Fox’s Never Been Kissed; and Warner Bros.’ Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gosnell began his career as an editor working on classic films including: Academy Award® nominee Pretty Woman, Academy Award® nominee Home Alone and Academy Award® winner Mrs. Doubtfire. Gosnell is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency.
Armory Films’ slate includes: The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and newcomer Zack Gottsagen, which received rave reviews and the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award out of its SXSW premiere and was acquired by Roadside Attractions which will release the film August 9th; Joe Penna’s Arctic, starring Mads Mikkelsen; Dee Rees’ lauded feature Mudbound, starring Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund; and Charlie Day’s directorial debut El Tonto starring Day, Kate Beckinsale, Jason Sudeikis, which is currently in post-production.
SOURCE K.JAM MEDIA
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