EXCLUSIVE: Saban Films has picked up North American rights to writer/director Brian Presley’s action-western Hostile Territory (previously titled The Orphan Train) and is planning a theatrical release for 2022.
The pic stars Matt McCoy (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle), Brea Bee (Silver Linings Playbook), Brad Leland (Deepwater Horizon), Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects), Craig Tate (King Richard) and Presley.
Set in post-civil war America, Hostile Territory tells the story of a Union soldier who is presumed dead as a POW. When his children are mistakenly sent away on an orphan train to be placed in a new home, unlikely individuals unite for the greater good and children are forced to grow up quickly in this wild-west fight for equality.
Producers are Brian Presley, Christian Sosa, Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh, and Taliah Agdeppa at P12 Films, with Sean Leigh Hart, Devyn Reggio, and Will Wallace executive producing.
The deal was negotiated by Jonathan Saba for Saban Films and Jay Cohen at Gersh on behalf of the filmmakers.
“We were incredibly moved by Brian’s telling of this story, which perfectly captures the grit and resiliency of the American settlers and provides an example of how people can come together for the common good. The fact that this orphan train actually existed and was in practice during the post-Civil War era is astounding,” said Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley.
_____________