30WEST to Fully Finance the L.A. Crime Thriller,
Rocket Science to Handle International Sales
Academy Award® and Emmy® Award Winner Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies,” The Hours) will star in "Destroyer," a modern Los Angeles crime thriller to be directed by Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Girlfight) from an original screenplay by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (The Invitation, Ride Along).
30WEST will fully finance the film.
Academy Award® Nominee Fred Berger (La La Land) of Automatik is producing alongside Hay and Manfredi, who also wrote and produced Kusama’s critically acclaimed film "The Invitation."
ROCKET SCIENCE is handling international sales and helped arrange the financing, while ICM Partners and CAA are representing the North American rights to the film.
"Destroyer" follows the moral and existential odyssey of LAPD detective Erin Bell who, as a young cop, was placed undercover with a cult-like gang in the California desert with tragic results.
"Destroyer" follows the moral and existential odyssey of LAPD detective Erin Bell who, as a young cop, was placed undercover with a cult-like gang in the California desert with tragic results.
When the leader of that gang re-emerges many years later, she must work her way back through the remaining members and into her own history with them to finally reckon with the demons that destroyed her past. Casting is currently underway on the film.
“Phil and Matt have written one of the most compelling screenplays I’ve ever read, Nicole is at the top of her game – doing tremendously exciting work – and Karyn is one of the most assured voices working today,” producer Fred Berger said. “It’s a powerful combination, sure to produce an iconic character, and I feel lucky to be in their company.”
“In bringing together Karyn Kusama and Nicole Kidman, Destroyer is set to be a formidable and intelligent commercial thriller with a commanding female protagonist," Thorsten Schumacher, Founder and CEO of Rocket Science said. “I can’t wait to see them bring Phil and Matt’s incredible script to the screen.”Kidman starred in HBO’s hit series “Big Little Lies,” which recently earned her an Emmy® Award for Lead Actress in a Limited Series.
Her recent film credits include Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled for Focus Features and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Killing of a Sacred Deer for A24.
Kidman has been nominated for four Academy Awards®, winning for her performance inStephen Daldry’s The Hours.
Kusama made her directorial debut on Girlfight, which starred Michelle Rodriguez.
Kusama made her directorial debut on Girlfight, which starred Michelle Rodriguez.
The film was released by Screen Gems and earned Kusama the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, the Youth Award at Cannes, the Grand Special Prize at Deauville, and the Open Palm Award at the Gotham Awards.
Kidman is represented by CAA and Media Talent Group, Kusama by ICM Partners, and Hay and Manfredi by UTA.
Berger received an Academy Award® Nomination and won Golden Globe, BAFTA, PGA, BFCA, and NY Film Critics Circle awards for Damien Chazelle's hit musical La La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.
ABOUT 30WEST
Founded by Dan Friedkin and Micah Green, 30WEST provides capital and strategic guidance to high-caliber creative projects and forward-thinking companies operating throughout popular culture. Its media practice works with filmmakers to guide every stage of creative packaging, providing direct capital investment for production, sales, distribution and licensing in order to maximize production quality and audience reach. The company maintains a close network of partners across every area of agency, management, capital and distribution to ensure that worthwhile projects and businesses receive the attention, momentum and resources they need to thrive.
30WEST recently acquired the North American distribution rights to Michael Pearce’s psychological thriller Beast starring Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn and Geraldine James. The company also acquired the domestic rights, along with NEON, to Craig Gillespie’s much talked about dark comedy, I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to both critical and audience praise. In a mid-seven-figure deal, 30WEST also sold the rights to Morgan Spurlock’s fast-food documentary Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! to YouTube Red along with co-rep Cinetic Media.
ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE
ROCKET SCIENCE is a filmed entertainment company engineered for production, finance, sales and distribution. The company was founded in 2016 by industry executive, Thorsten Schumacher. Setting out to create a diverse range of quality content for global film and television audiences, ROCKET SCIENCE is building a commercial slate that boasts unique global appeal across all of its platforms and disciplines.
The slate of projects include: David Lowery’s The Old Man and the Gun, starring Robert Redford and Casey Affleck; Dominic Cooke’s film adaption On Chesil Beach starring Saoirse Ronan which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival; Nick Hornby adaptation Juliet, Naked for Judd Apatow; Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey; Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, which will star Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh; Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut, The Sea Change, based on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name; and Taika Waititi and Mark Gustafson’s Bubbles - a stop motion animation looking at the life of Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee, which has sold to Netflix.
ABOUT AUTOMATIK
Automatik is a Los Angeles based film and television production company lead by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger, and partnered with Grandview Management. Since its inception in 2010, Automatik has produced over 60 films including Jeff Nichols’ films from Take Shelter to Midnight Special and Loving, the Insidious Chapters, the Sinister series, and The Signal.
Since Kavanaugh-Jones and Berger partnered in 2016, they are off to a prolific start, making over 20 films including Reed Morano’s I Think We’re Alone Now, Max Minghella’s Teen Spirit, Leigh Whannell’s Stem, Hany Abu-Assad’s The Mountain Between Us, Lennart Ruff’s The Titan, Nia DaCosta’s Little Woods, Rowan Athale’s Strange But True, and Wayne Roberts’ Richard Says Goodbye.
The duo are currently in production on Chris Weitz’ Operation Finale starring Oscar Isaac and Sir Ben Kingsley, and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s Dreamland starring Margot Robbie.
Kidman is represented by CAA and Media Talent Group, Kusama by ICM Partners, and Hay and Manfredi by UTA.
Berger received an Academy Award® Nomination and won Golden Globe, BAFTA, PGA, BFCA, and NY Film Critics Circle awards for Damien Chazelle's hit musical La La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.
ABOUT 30WEST
Founded by Dan Friedkin and Micah Green, 30WEST provides capital and strategic guidance to high-caliber creative projects and forward-thinking companies operating throughout popular culture. Its media practice works with filmmakers to guide every stage of creative packaging, providing direct capital investment for production, sales, distribution and licensing in order to maximize production quality and audience reach. The company maintains a close network of partners across every area of agency, management, capital and distribution to ensure that worthwhile projects and businesses receive the attention, momentum and resources they need to thrive.
30WEST recently acquired the North American distribution rights to Michael Pearce’s psychological thriller Beast starring Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn and Geraldine James. The company also acquired the domestic rights, along with NEON, to Craig Gillespie’s much talked about dark comedy, I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to both critical and audience praise. In a mid-seven-figure deal, 30WEST also sold the rights to Morgan Spurlock’s fast-food documentary Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! to YouTube Red along with co-rep Cinetic Media.
ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE
ROCKET SCIENCE is a filmed entertainment company engineered for production, finance, sales and distribution. The company was founded in 2016 by industry executive, Thorsten Schumacher. Setting out to create a diverse range of quality content for global film and television audiences, ROCKET SCIENCE is building a commercial slate that boasts unique global appeal across all of its platforms and disciplines.
The slate of projects include: David Lowery’s The Old Man and the Gun, starring Robert Redford and Casey Affleck; Dominic Cooke’s film adaption On Chesil Beach starring Saoirse Ronan which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival; Nick Hornby adaptation Juliet, Naked for Judd Apatow; Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey; Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, which will star Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh; Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut, The Sea Change, based on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name; and Taika Waititi and Mark Gustafson’s Bubbles - a stop motion animation looking at the life of Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee, which has sold to Netflix.
ABOUT AUTOMATIK
Automatik is a Los Angeles based film and television production company lead by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger, and partnered with Grandview Management. Since its inception in 2010, Automatik has produced over 60 films including Jeff Nichols’ films from Take Shelter to Midnight Special and Loving, the Insidious Chapters, the Sinister series, and The Signal.
Since Kavanaugh-Jones and Berger partnered in 2016, they are off to a prolific start, making over 20 films including Reed Morano’s I Think We’re Alone Now, Max Minghella’s Teen Spirit, Leigh Whannell’s Stem, Hany Abu-Assad’s The Mountain Between Us, Lennart Ruff’s The Titan, Nia DaCosta’s Little Woods, Rowan Athale’s Strange But True, and Wayne Roberts’ Richard Says Goodbye.
The duo are currently in production on Chris Weitz’ Operation Finale starring Oscar Isaac and Sir Ben Kingsley, and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s Dreamland starring Margot Robbie.
