GothicA Young Woman Seeks Her Missing Brother & Discovers a Village's Horrific Secret
Gothic Pictures International's Film in Preproduction, The Beast, Spins a Tale Combining a Conspiracy to Hide a Monster, a Dark Family Past & Battling To Survive Against the Ultimate Evil.
The Beast: Directed by Ray Gibraltar & Written by Russ Williams — Shooting Starts in Late 2012 or Early 2013
The
film opens as five
people are on a road trip through the Philippine backwoods.
They are Filipinos Diana Esteban, 28 and her recent
boyfriend, Eric Mercado, 29, as well as Diana's American friends
Bill Hardy, 35, and his long-time girlfriend,
Julie Royce, 26. Diana's petulant brother, Terry, 20, has
gone along with them, just for the ride.
Julie is an old friend of Diana's, and they met as college students in UCLA. They have kept in touch, and Julie is visiting her with Bill, her boyfriend, who had hoped to gain investment money for his computer chip company from Diana's wealthy father, Ramon.
Julie wanted to console Diana over the recent loss of her mother. She and Bill arrived in Manila to discover that Diana had just fought with her estranged father, who didn't want her to make this trip. However, she secretly did it anyway, getting Bill and Julie to come with her. She dragged Terry along so he wouldn't blab to their Dad. Diana is searching for her “lost” brother, Christopher Esteban, 31. The two of them had been really close, until he disappeared six years ago.
Back when Christopher vanished, their priest had told them to accept God's will and not to look for him, so Ramon commanded everyone in the family to obey the church. However, Diana's mother had kept a copy of a secret letter hidden, which started her on her quest. Christopher sent this letter from the remote little village of San Miguel, now the group's destination.
Before Christopher's disappearance, he had fought with Ramon and left home to travel about the islands backpacking for over a year. This letter was the last communication anyone ever received from him. He wrote about hiking to the remote village of San Miguel. He also mentioned a small, mysterious-looking mountain near the town, covered with strange, stormy clouds and wrote that he was going to take a walk there the next day.
When Diana and her friends arrive at San Miguel, she starts searching for her brother. The town is very small and so remote there's not even a cell phone signal. Though no one in town helps her, she does catch sight of the strange mountain described in Christopher's letter, so she knows they've found the right place. However, the villagers, including priests in strange robes, refuse to give them information. Instead, the town folk become hostile and run the group out of town.
On the next day, as they start to leave, Diana's other brother, Carlos, 33, a burly, powerful-looking man, drives up to them, stops and goes to Diana. Terry had told him about her trip, and he went to Ramon, who asked him to stop her and bring her home. There's an obvious and powerful hatred between the two, especially from Diana. They have an angry argument, then Carlos grabs her and physically drags her to his car, with Terry following. Eric tries to stop him, and they have a fist fight. Bill tries to stop the fight, but Carlos punches him too. After all three fight it out until Bill ends up knocking Carlos unconscious. They tie him up, put him in the back of the SUV and drive away.
After Diana's urgent pleas, the group decides to visit the clouded mountain, bypassing the village. She hopes to find clues there about what happened to Christopher. Instead, they find a dark, mysterious forest. She, Eric and Terry investigate the forest but are attacked by a giant wolf-looking monster. Terrified, they flee the forest but not before Terry is severely bitten. When they near the edge of the forest, the creature disappears! Could it have been a werewolf?
They return to Bill and Julie, who waited behind, and everyone realizes they must take Terry to the village and find a doctor before he bleeds to death. However, when they return to San Miguel, the town priest orders all of them kidnapped. They then take Terry and Diana to the church, where they perform a ritual so horrifying Diana passes out when she sees what the priests do to her brother!
Events that happen next in The Beast are not to be missed as Diana and her friends uncover an incredible conspiracy to hide a deadly creature not only able to kill people but control them as well. They have to escape the villagers who hold them prisoner, as well as the monster capable of causing grave harm, far worse than physical death. In order to survive, Diana must face up to dark events in her own family past. But finally, her battle is not just against a "werewolf" but a struggle for survival against the Beast that stalks her, a thing of terrifying, ultimate evil.
For more information on Gibraltar and Williams, as well as other GPI film-makers, visit the page in this website that showcases the main members of the GPI Primary Production Staff.
A Girl Confronts Misplaced Loyalty & Her Friend's Tragic Disappearance
A Terrible Crime Forces a Teenaged Girl to Choose Among Her Boyfriend, Family & Friends To Do the Right Thing
Good Night Sweet Prince (Magandang Prinsipe, Paalam): Director, Archie Del Mundo, and Story by Russ Williams—Shooting Starts in Late 2012
Good Night Sweet Prince (English title) will be our first film (Tagalog working title: Magandang Prinsipe, Paalam) largely in the Philippine language, Tagalog, though it will contain some English. Archie Del Mundo will helm the project as director, and GPI will co-produce. More announcements will follow after sufficient funds for production have been raised, mostly in the Philippines.
Archie's name is well-known in the Philippines as one of the brightest young up-and-coming directors in Manila. His screenwriting credits are many, and his directing accomplishments include Taksikab (2011), a film that garnered much critical acclaim locally. Currently, Archie is in preproduction for a new film entitled The Mayor's Wife, starring Marife Necesito (also of Darkest Night), to be released in the Philippines during the fall of 2012. He hopes to start shooting Magandang Prinsipe, Paalam by early next year.
The film's story takes place in a working-class neighborhood in Manila and concerns a Filipina high school senior, Maria, who falls in love with an American boy classmate, Bobby. However, Bobby is involved with a gang of drug dealers led by Jake, who pull him into a web of violence street crime. Maria is in denial over her boyfriend's shady ties, and can only think about how much she loves him. Jake dominates his gang, including Bobby, and even flirts with Maria.
Maria's best friend, Andrea is secretly a young man living as a woman. Only Maria and Andrea's grandmother, who raised her, know her real identity. Maria invites Andrea to a party, trying to introduce her to new friends, but there Andrea runs afoul of Jake. Tragic crime follows, and Andrea disappears. Ensuing events pull all the young people in the story down a dark path of guilt, lying and hiding from the police.
Only Maria can find a way to pull herself out of this morass and has to seek the help of her family. Will she betray her friends and boyfriend? Can she bear to shame her family by making it public that she is tied to a horrendous crime? Will she have the strength to defy Jake, even as he threatens her family, friends and even her life? How this story unfolds and comes to an exciting climax is not to be missed.
Take a Journey to Forgotten Realms of Fantasy, Where PanDEMONium Reigns
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Within the Magical Lands of Fantasy, in PanDEMONium, Princes Romance Their Princesses, Monsters Threaten Kingdoms & Wizards Use Good & Evil Magic To Open New Realms Before Your Eyes.
PanDEMONium: Director, TBA & Written by DJ Perry — Shooting Planned To Start in Late 2013 |
By all rights, Prince Freeacas should be a happy man. He will soon become the king of his homeland of Jalish. The city of Seth Rye in Malicos has just fallen in conquest by the soldiers of his realm. He has a beautiful and loving Princess Anne by his side. His close and loyal friend, Jalel, obeys his every command. However, all is not well in the Castle Jalish. What's the problem? It's the reason Prince Freeacas will be crowned king. That's the sadness in his heart.
His beloved father, King Haggert, has fallen in the battle for Seth Rye. His death lies heavy on the land and in the prince's heart. He didn't die fighting the enemy bravely in battle. Instead, a hellish monster the king should have been able to control turned on the monarch and killed him, just when the battle was almost over. Dark wizardry is definitely in the air. The king's ferocious magic guardian became his murderer, and it's now on the loose to wreak further havoc in the kingdom. Only one man can stop this thing come hot from hell, and that's Haggert's son, Prince Freeacas himself.
How do you kill an unfettered creature spawned of magic? The princess and Jalel both worry that Freeacas may be in over his head in tackling a monster that may not die by the sword. However, Freeacas knows he can't find and kill this thing alone, and he promptly enlists the aid of a young wizard named Tristen and an adventurer, Osbourne, to help with his quest. In spite of the protests of Anne and others, Freeacas sets off on his mission accompanied by his two new helpers, Jalel and a few good knights.
However, killing the monster becomes complicated when the ruler of Jalish's rival kingdom of Malicos, King Karth and his ambitious general, Kalak, seek to take over the monster. Still smarting from his recent loss of Seth Rye to Freeacas, Karth gets news that the monster is out of control. He plots revenge by calling on his own elder and powerful wizard, Lentar. Karth wants to gain mastery of the monster for himself. He hopes to turn it against Freeacas and his intrepid band of hunters. If he can kill the prince and use this creature for his own ends, Karth believes he can end his losing streak against the forces of Jalish, get Anne for himself and rule both kingdoms.
Yet, the story takes many unexpected twists and turns from there. As Freeacas and Karth vie for control of the monster, the fate of both kingdoms hangs in the balance as they realize their aims are in mortal conflict. Political intrigue, black magic and betrayal complicate the goals of both men, and they soon realize that only one of them will emerge from this quest and struggle alive. As the two men battle it out, can Princess Anne arrive with reinforcements in time? Can either man trust his closest allies? Most important, can anyone control this terrible beast before it ravages both kingdoms?
Freeacas discovers that magic can be truly difficult to harness, especially when it's wielded by your friends and your enemies. As much as he would like, he can't control everyone under his command. The prince finds out that the powers of wisdom and love will always triumph over kingly power. Even though brute force and armies can help, only a prince and future king who makes the right decisions can save the day. Triumph lies within his grasp, but he must learn to rely on those he can really trust and a princess who loves him passionately and without reservation, more so than he ever realized.
PanDEMONium is an exciting and endearing story of romance, adventure and the struggle of one man to realize truly what it means to be a selfless ruler. Only then can he win out over his enemies, have the princess he loves and be the just and righteous king that destiny would have him become.
For more information on DJ Perry, see his page in IMDb and the website for his film company Collective Development, Inc., which is now in partnership with GPI.
They Say You Can't Go Home Again:
Maybe They're Right!
Gothic Pictures International's Planned Film, Shadow of Death, Tells the Story of Family Conflict, Fears of Those Closest to You & Ancient Evil Forces Awakened From a Fiery Volcano.
A Man Finally Journeys Home to an Island Town of Many Dark Secrets
Shadow of Death: Director, TBA & Written by Russ Williams — Shooting Planned To Start in 2014
Joe Torres returns home at age 31, to the small island town of San Bernardo in the Philippines. He was working as a reporter in Manila for ten years. Now his father is dead, and he's inherited the village newspaper. He wants to take over the business, but he also has a more pressing personal matter to settle. Joe left home ten years ago because an old family feud on the island destroyed his marriage. His wife, Teresa Mendoza, was from the "wrong family," and the conflict split them up. The Mendozas have kept him estranged from his son, Tim, now 13, for all these years. Joe's wife, who earlier had disappeared, is now dead, and Joe wants Tim back.
He arrives at the island greeted by his sister, Jenny, 28, and discovers some grim realities. The newspaper is almost defunct, the Mendoza family refuses to hand over the boy and his older brother, Victor, who is 35, still appears to hate him, because of issues in their past. Joe gets help from an old buddy, Mike Hunter, 33, the police chief from an American family who works for Victor, as well as from other friends. Still, his causes seem to be doomed. The 200-year-old family conflict is now even worse since oil was discovered on the island a few years ago.
Then, he meets Sandra Peterson, 25, a U.S. geologist who has traveled to the town to study the sleeping volcano that dominates Bonggao Island's landscape, Bato Apoy Mountain. She's looking for data on strange earthquake activity that has even attracted the attention of the college where she works, Cal Tech, in Pasadena, California. She comes to the newspaper to check its archives for stories on past volcanic eruptions and realizes the oil drilling is right next to the volcano. The two work together to discover more about what's going on and end up finding romance.
Also, Mike is able to help sneak Tim away from the Mendoza family, where the boy is dominated by a stern family matriarch, his 67-year-old grandmother, Czarina Mendoza. Father and son are able to renew their relationship from strangers into friends and try to continue meeting despite resistance. However, problems arise from Joe's own family, as his brother Victor forbids him during a heated argument, to write any stories critical of local politics. Victor even has thugs vandalize the newspaper building. His home and office are virtually destroyed. The Mendozas discover that Joe and Tim are meeting secretly and "ground" Tim indefinitely. Joe feels like all his efforts to better his life are at a standstill, and Sandra is his only consolation.
However, ancient, monstrous creatures lie beneath the island's surface, inside the volcano. Someone on the island wants to let them out. People begin to mutate into strange reptilian monsters. The town erupts into chaos and becomes isolated. The only hope of Joe, his son and his friends is to find out who is behind these terrible events and to try to set things right. But the odds are against them as people keep dying, disappearing or turning into horrific "things." Only a mysterious man on the island with an ancient scroll may give them the answer on how to destroy the creatures under Bato Apoy. However, time is running out. They have to figure out a way to get rid of these ancient creatures before they destroy the island and much of the world along with it!
For more information on Tan and Williams, as well as other GPI filmmakers, visit the page in this website that showcases the main members of the GPI Primary Production Staff.
