Fresh off starring in the Netflix adaptation of the Stephen King story Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, veteran actor Donald Sutherland has now signed on to star in the coming-of-age thriller Heart Land, which Variety has heard is being described as “28 Days Later meets Lord of the Flies.” Directed by David Carson (Star Trek: Generations), Heart Land is filming in New Zealand and Quebec, Canada. It will go through the post-production process in the UK.
Matthew A. Collins (All That Glitters) wrote the screenplay for this one, crafting a story that centers on two disparate bands of children struggling to survive in the brutal landscape of a pestilent America, where adults have become infected by a mysterious plague and only children are immune. Left to their own devices, the youthful survivors must rely on primal instinct and dwindling resources to fend off the raging infected.
The lead character is Jonah, the grandson of Sutherland’s character Rick. According to Carson, “Rick is the emotional heart and anchor of Heart Land. And I cannot imagine anyone else but Donald Sutherland playing him. I have admired and been moved by Donald’s wonderful performances for a long time and I know he will bring depth and gravitas to the role and to the movie. I’m very excited to be working with Donald in a role that demands such an exceptionally detailed, imaginative and visceral performance.“
Heart Land is being produced by Trademark Films’ David Parfitt, Carson’s Center Mass Studios, Michelle Turner, Morepork Movies, Byron A. Martin, and Todd Berger. There will be creatures in this movie, and they have been designed by Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop.
This project sounds interesting to me and it’s always great to watch Sutherland at work, so I look forward to seeing how Heart Land turns out. How does this one sound to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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