Shoreline Entertainment has sold English-language remake rights to Johnny O'Reilly's Russian-language thriller, ‘The Weather Station.’ O’Reilly’s original Russian version of the film is to receive a limited U.S. release later this year and the Irish writer/director is currently in preparation with a new multi-narrative Russian-language feature entitled, ‘Moscow Never Sleeps’ with Bl!nder Films’ Katie Holly (Sensation) on board as one of the film’s producers.
Vertigo and 18-24 Productions have picked up the English-language remake rights on, ‘The Weather Station’, an Arctic meteorological station whodunit. The film shot in April 2009 in Crimea, Southern Ukraine with O’Reilly the only Irish crew member involved.
The original Russian version, starring Russia's Sergey Garmash (Our Own) and Aleksey Guskov (Otets) is to be distributed in the U.S. by Hannover House, with an initial limited arthouse release of five days. The film is produced by Sergei Selyanov (The Cuckoo) and Vlad Ryashin (Aurora). O’Reilly tells IFTN he is currently in talks with companies in the UK, Spain and Germany to have the film released in their territories. He is also in talks to be creatively involved with production of the English language version of the film.
As reported above, O’Reilly, now based in Moscow, is currently prepping a new Russian-language feature, ‘Moscow Never Sleeps’, with current plans to begin production in the autumn.
Written and to be directed by O’Reilly, €3 million feature is a multi-narrative drama set in contemporary Moscow which follows the lives of five different people. The film sees the rapid changes in the lives of a bureaucrat who takes on powerful politicians who have raided his business; an orphan who is forced to abandon the woman who brought him up; a dying actor who leaves his deathbed for one last adventure; a beautiful singer who confronts her stalker; and a neglected teenager who poisons her father.
‘Moscow Never Sleeps’ has received development finance from the Irish Film Board and is to shoot on location in Moscow. The film is being produced by Katie Holly and Andrey Zakharov (Serdtse Vraga).
‘The Weather Station’ marked O’Reilly’s debut feature as a director. The Irishman previously enjoyed much success with his short film, ‘The Terms’ which nabbed him the 2000 Woodstock Film Festival Jury Prize, the Best Short Film title at the Terezin Fort Film Festival and 2nd place at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival in the Jury Award category.
