After years in development, Red 5 Comics' Afterburn is finally headed into production starring Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson. Produced by the makers of The Fast and the Furious, Afterburn is scheduled to start production in April. Details can be found below.
We still have limited quantities of the original issues available for purchase in our online store. You can find them at the links below:
Red 5 Comics Web Store - Afterburn
For more details on the production, see the press release below:
BLACK BEAR TO SELL DAVE BAUTISTA-STARRER AFTERBURN FROM DIRECTOR J.J. PERRY FOR ENDURANCE MEDIA AND ORIGINAL FILMS
SAMUEL L. JACKSON WILL ALSO JOIN THE CAST
February 6, 2024 – Black Bear, Endurance Media, Dogbone Entertainment, and Original Films today announced action-packed adventure movie Afterburn, starring Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune), ahead of the upcoming European Film Market. Samuel L. Jackson (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Django Unchained) will also join the cast in this highly anticipated project, which starts principal photography in April in Europe.The film will be directed by J.J. Perry, who recently wrapped production on Lionsgate’s The Killer’s Game, also with Bautista, and is highly acclaimed for his work as a Second Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator on the John Wick and Fast & The Furious franchises. Afterburn is adapted from the Red 5 graphic novel of the same name.
The picture will be produced by Neal H. Moritz (Fast and Furious franchise) and Toby Jaffe (Total Recall) for Original Film and Steve Richards (Sherlock Holmes franchise, The Matrix trilogy) for Endurance Media. Dave Bautista will also produce through Dogbone Entertainment. Black Bear will introduce the film to international buyers at the upcoming EFM, with CAA Media Finance representing US rights.
Ten years after a solar flare wiped out technology across the globe, ex-soldier Jake (Bautista) works as a treasure hunter recovering valuable objects from the old world for powerful clients. His latest mission: team up with freedom fighter Drea to recover the Mona Lisa before an unhinged warlord gets there first.
Dave Bautista is most widely known for his recurring role as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Since then, he has starred in box office smashes including Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Netflix’s Glass Onion and Army of the Dead. Films in which he has appeared have grossed upwards of $10 billion at the global box office. Bautista will next be seen in Dune: Part Two and My Spy: The Eternal City for Amazon through his Dogbone banner.
Legendary actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson has had a prolific career, appearing in over 100 films which have collectively grossed over $27 billion globally, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time. Highlights include eleven Marvel films in his role as Nick Fury, four Star Wars films in his role as Mace Windu as well as critical and commercial successes Django Unchained, Kinsgman: The Secret Service and Kong: Skull Island.
Before transitioning to directing, J.J. Perry was widely regarded as one of the most skilled Second Unit Directors and Stunt Coordinators in the business, regularly collaborating with directors such as Ang Lee, Chad Stahelski, Justin Lin and Spike Lee. This led to Perry’s 2022 directorial debut, Day Shift, the feature action-comedy at Netflix starring Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco and Snoop Dogg. He recently wrapped his second feature, The Killer’s Game, which also stars Bautista, and will be released by Lionsgate.
”Afterburn is a terrific action story, combining the fun of Indiana Jones with the near future world building of Children of Men,” said producer Toby Jaffe. “J.J. is going to bring this to life in a thrilling way, using real practical stunt work to create authentic, visceral set pieces. Dave is one of the leading action stars in the world today, as well as being an actor with real soul and versatility. So excited to be making Afterburn with them both.”
“The combination of Dave Bautista and Sam Jackson in an epic adventure is a sure-fire proposition for the international marketplace” said Black Bear’s Friedberg, “With an action master like J.J. at the helm, and incredible producers in Steve, Neal and Toby, this is going to be a spectacular cinematic event.”
Bautista is represented by CAA, Meisner Entertainment Group, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein. Jackson is represented by CAA, Anonymous Content, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein. Perry is repped by WME, Holly Jeter and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
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About Black Bear
Black Bear is one of the world’s leading independent studios, focused on producing, financing and distributing premium content for a global audience while offering creators and filmmakers an unparalleled destination for collaboration. Black Bear has produced such commercial and critical films as The Imitation Game, I Care A Lot, Mudbound, and All Is Lost. Black Bear’s slate includes: Nyad, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, both of whom were recently nominated for Oscars for their roles; Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, Pete Davidson and Shailene Woodley; and Scott Frank’s newest series “Monsieur Spade,” starring Clive Owen. Upcoming releases include Sydney Sweeney’s horror vehicle, Immaculate; Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing starring Oscar Nominee Colman Domingo; and Andrew Patterson’s The Rivals of Amziah King starring Matthew McConaughey.
Black Bear’s international sales and distribution arm, run from its London office, is one of the most selective and successful sales operations in the business. The current slate includes Michael Mann’s Ferrari starring Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley, which is currently in release; David Ayer’s Levon’s Trade starring Jason Statham; Corin Hardy’s Whistle; Taron Egerton crime thriller, She Rides Shotgun; Olivia Colman and Dev Patel’s twisted romance, Wicker; Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare starring Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez from Lionsgate; Daniel Minahan’s On Swift Horses, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter; Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe; Stephen King’s The Monkey starring Theo James; upcoming Elon Musk documentary, Musk, from Oscar winning filmmaker Alex Gibney; and Max Minghella’s Shell starring Elizabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, and Kaia Gerber..
About Endurance Media
Endurance Media is a feature film finance and production company based in Santa Monica, CA. Started in 2015, Endurance utilizes a $250 million financing structure to produce and finance films in the $20 – 60 million range. The Company also launched with a strategic alliance with Entertainment One, serving as both an equity partner and distributor for the films in multiple territories. In addition to Mark Felt: The Man Who Took Down a President, Endurance has also released Villa Capri starring Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones and Rene Russo, Come Away starring David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie, and Freelance starring John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba and Christian Slater. Upcoming releases include The Killer’s Game with Lionsgate.
About Original Film
NEAL H. MORITZ is the founder of Original Film. Moritz has produced over 70 major motion pictures, which have earned a total of over 11 billion dollars at the box office worldwide. He has produced every film in the Fast & Furious franchise, including last year’s Fast X. Original also produces the Sonic franchise, and is currently in production on Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and a television series spinoff for Paramount+ titled “Knuckles”. Original also has a successful television business with several series on the air including Emmy-nominated “The Boys” on Amazon and “S.W.A.T.”, which is in its 7th season at CBS.
Dogbone Entertainment
Dogbone Entertainment was established by actor and producer Dave Bautista in 2022. Dogbone is a full-service entertainment company that produces for film and television for both traditional and digital platforms. The company’s mission is to bring inspiring and dynamic tales to the screen with a focus on action packed stories with heart, smart comedies and compelling dramas that promote meaningful conversation. Dogbone has recently wrapped My Spy: The Eternal City for Amazon, The Killer’s Game for Lionsgate, and In the Lost Lands.