Occupation Rainfall director Luke Sparke will enter the world of Charles Dickens later this year after being attached to direct the literary adventure feature Shadow Chasers.
Set to be filmed in Australia, the story features characters from Dickens’ most famous works, including Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley, teaming up with Oliver Twist and a young Dickens himself to save Old London from imminent destruction.
The script was written by George Mahaffey, with Steve Lee Jones producing for Bee Holder Productions alongside Matthew Shreder of Concourse Media, and Australian producers Carmel Imrie and Sparke Films’ Carly Sparke.
Jeremy Christensen is co-producing for Bee Holder, while Grant Mohrman is executive producing for Concourse.
Sparke is in the midst of scouting locations for the upcoming project while concurrently editing mob thriller Bring Him To Me, which was last week acquired by Rialto Distribution for release in Australia/New Zealand, with Myriad to sell the film at EFM.
He told IF he was already enjoying a fantastic creative relationship with the team after being “instantly grabbed” by the action and mystery within the script.
“I have to thank Grant at Concourse Media,” he said.
“He saw something in my work and brought me in to read the script. I just ‘got it’ and pitch my vision for it and we’re away.”
Jones described Sparke as someone who “breathes incredible VFX magic into fantastical-looking films while telling layered and passionate stories”.
“He is an exciting new filmmaker who revels in creating high production value, and he will surely bring magic to this well-known international property,” he said.
The producers are in the process of casting for the film, with the shoot to take place towards the end of this year.