STOKER - START OF PRODUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT

“STOKER” BEGINS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Cast includes Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman

with Dermot Mulroney and Jacki Weaver

LOS ANGELES, CA – Scott Free Productions, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Indian Paintbrush announced today that principal photography for the psychological thriller STOKER has begun in Nashville, Tennessee.  The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Oscar ® winner Nicole Kidman with Dermot Mulroney and Oscar® nominee Jacki Weaver.

In his first English language film, celebrated Korean director Park Chan-wook (OLDBOY, THIRST) will direct from an original screenplay by the former PRISON BREAK star Wentworth Miller, who wrote his inaugural script under the pseudonym Ted Foulke. STOKER is being produced by Scott Free Productions’ Tony Scott, Ridley Scott and Michael Costigan with Steven Rales and Mark Roybal of Indian Paintbrush serving as executive producers.  Indian Paintbrush is co-financing the film with Fox Searchlight Pictures who will be releasing the film worldwide.

After India's (Wasikowska's) father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie (Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother (Kidman). Soon after his arrival, she comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Claudia Lewis, President of Production, David Greenbaum, Senior Vice President of Production and DanTram Nguyen, Director of Production are overseeing the project.

Director Park has emerged as one of the most significant talents in world cinema in recent years.  He attributes Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO, which he first saw while at university, as the film that changed his life and the seed which began his creative exploration of the darker elements of human experience.

His filmmaking has garnered recognition in his homeland as well as from a number of leading international film festivals.  Most recently his short film PARANMANJANG, shot entirely with Apple’s iPhone, won the Golden Bear (Short Film) at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. In 2009 his vampire thriller THIRST won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE was awarded the Cinema Avvenire and Il Leoncino d’oro awards in competition at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. This was preceded by OLD BOY, which won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.



Scott Free Productions was formed in 1995 and is the film and television production vehicle of acclaimed film directors, brothers Ridley and Tony Scott.  Scott Free Films recently released the international hits ROBIN HOOD and UNSTOPPABLE, as well as the critically acclaimed films CRACKS, WELCOME TO THE RILEYS, Fox Searchlight’s CYRUS, and most recently the YouTube backed LIFE IN A DAY.  Next for Scott Free is Ridley Scott's visionary epic PROMETHEUS starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron which Fox will release in June 2012, and Joe Carnahan's THE GREY starring Liam Neeson set for January 2012.   Scott Free Television produces the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated hit TV show “The Good Wife” for CBS, and the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated mini-series “The Pillars of the Earth,” based on the best-selling book by Ken Follett.  With offices in Los Angeles and London, Scott Free works closely with RSA Films, one of the world largest and most successful commercial production houses in the world.

Indian Paintbrush, a film development/production/finance company, is currently in production on THE UNTITLED DRAKE DOREMUS PROJECT starring Guy Pearce, Amy Ryan and Felicity Jones.  Indian Paintbrush and Paramount Pictures acquired Doremus' LIKE CRAZY at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize as well as a Special Grand Jury Prize for Felicity Jones and Paramount will release the film on October 28, 2011.  Indian Paintbrush is in post-production on: Lorene Scafaria’s SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley to be released by Focus; Wes Anderson’s next feature, MOONRISE KINGDOM, starring Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton, also distributed by Focus; THE UNTITLED DAVID CHASE PROJECT with James Gandolfini, Brad Garrett, Bella Heathcote, Christopher McDonald, Molly Price and Lisa Lampanelli to be distributed by Paramount; and JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME, written/directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, starring Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Ed Helms and Judy Greer which will also be released by Paramount Pictures.  Previously, Indian Paintbrush co-financed and executive produced Anderson’s FANTASTIC MR. FOX and THE DARJEELING LIMITED.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures.  It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox.  Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.