John V Soto’s Perth-shot Avarice will join Yellowjackets, Billions, and Dexter on Showtime’s slate after the US network acquired the action thriller.
Produced by Filmscope Entertainment and Maddfilms, the film follows a champion archer (Gillian Alexy) and her husband, Ash (Luke Ford), who go on vacation with their daughter to a remote holiday home. One night they are subjected to a terrifying home invasion by a team of mercenaries headed by Reed (Alexandra Nell) and Kane (Ryan Panizza). Kate must fight back using her specialist archery skills to defeat their captors and save her family
Rounding out the cast are Tom O’Sullivan and Alex Fleri.
The script was penned by Adam Enslow, Dane Millerd, Andrew Slattery and Soto, who also produces alongside Tim Maddocks, of Maddfilms.
The Screenwest-supported production shot over four weeks in 2021, with Backlot Films set to distribute the title in Australia this year.
International sales agent Epic Pictures, who negotiated the North American rights deal with Showtime, has since sold Avarice to Germany, China, UK, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.
Maddocks said the US acquisition was further validation for everyone who worked on the production.
“From the first read of an early draft of the script I knew that John and the writing team were putting together something that would appeal to audiences,” he said.
“Early support from Epic Pictures, then ScreenWest, and now Showtime adding it to their impressive library proves that we were on to something. It was great to spend time in Perth and the surrounds when we produced the film.”