Twilight’s Kellan Lutz must like working in Australia as he has just joined the cast of Nest, writer-director Kimble Rendall’s 3D sci-fi thriller which will start production in Queensland this month.
That’s his second Australian gig: last month he starred in Shane Abbess’ futuristic sci-fi thriller SFv1 as a drifter who teams up with military contractor Kane (Daniel MacPherson), to rescue Kane’s daughter (Teagan Croft) amid an impending global crisis.
Lutz and Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) join the previously announced Li Bingbing in the Chinese/Australian co-production which centres on a group of scientists who discover a well-preserved mummified Emperor from 200 BC China.
The plot follows the scientists as they encounter a swarm of man-eating funnel web spiders in an ancient labyrinth and strive to discover the secret behind the insects’ power and intelligence.
Kellan plays Ridley, an international first responder and guide on their mission, while Grammer is a biotech CEO in search of the key to the pharmacological fountain of youth.
At the AFM Darclight announced a raft of pre-sales including Germany (Square One), the Middle East (Italia), Turkey ( Aqua Pinema), India (Viswaas), the Philippines (Pioneer), Vietnam (Galaxy), Indonesia ( Cinemaxx) and Thailand, Cambodia and Laos (Sahamongkol).
Darclight, the genre label of Gary Hamilton’s Arclight Films, is co-producing Nest with Beijing-based Loongs United Investment Company Ltd., which distributed Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the Jason Statham starrer Redemption in China.
Cutting Edge and Rising Sun Pictures are handling the visual and special FX. The film will shoot at the Village Roadshow Studios and on location in South East Queensland. The investors include Screen Australia and Screen Queensland. Tait Brady’s Label is the Australian distributor.