Michael Biehn and Xavier Gens worked together on The Divide and it has been announced that they have partnered to produce Biehn's upcoming series of grindhouse films. Continue reading for the official press release, including details on their first project, The Farm:
Award-winning actor Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens), under his Blanc Biehn Productions shingle, has joined forces with famed director Xavier Gens (Hitman, Frontiers) to produce a series of grindhouse films, the first of which will be THE FARM. Each film will be dark, provocative and feature characters that are larger than life. Chiller Film, the genre arm of Aspect Film Ltd., will represent all three titles as part of the deal they announced with Blanc Biehn Productions back in February.
“The inspiration to do THE FARM came from a desire to work once again with Michael Biehn,” said Xavier Gens. “We had so much fun making The Divide. I really liked him and didn't want to wait too long before we could go back on a set and work together. I wanted to find the right project in which to reunite the family of The Divide before too much time passed.”
He continued, "COLD SKIN is my top priority project after THE DIVIDE,” said Xavier Gens. “It's a passion project which will be shot soon. We are supposed to lock the budget in Cannes. I am also developing a big French gangster film with LGM and GAUMONT in FRANCE which will shoot in 2013. THE FARM will be a good fun ride after those 2 big projects."
“I truly enjoyed working with Xavier,” commented Biehn. “The freedom he gives his actors and crew is unprecedented. He’s incredibly creative and has a style that I truly respect.”
Produced by Blanc Biehn Productions and written by Bradley Marcus and Kevin Marcus, THE FARM is the story of Johnny Dickens (Biehn) who went to hell and back fighting for his country, only to return to Texas a broken man, both inside and out. Now Johnny must fight his inner demons in order to save his farm not merely from a greedy corporation but also an inhuman horror which threatens to devour the American heartland. Laced with dark humor and pulse-pounding action harkening back to the glory days of John Carpenter as well as Grindhouse Films, Xavier Gen’s THE FARM features an impressive genre cast including scream queen Danielle Harris (Hatchet, Halloween), Jennifer Blanc (The Divide, “Party of Five”) as well as other alumni from The Divide including Michael Eklund (Hunt to Kill), Ivan Gonzalez (Rich Kids) and Courtney B. Vance (Extraordinary Measures).
THE FARM is being produced by Jennifer Blanc Biehn, Michel Teicher and Avi Federgreen of Federgreen Entertainment/Indiecan Entertainment. Shooting is set to begin in early 2013 in Canada. Pre-sales will be conducted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Hugh Edwards from Aspect Film will be representing Blanc Biehn Productions.
Xavier Gens’ next film is Cold Skin followed by The Farm.
Also slated for production under the Biehn/Gens partnership is Up and Down directed by Carlo Rizzo and The Predicator directed by Greg Morin.
Blanc Biehn Productions is the partnership of famed actors Michael Biehn and Jennifer Blanc-Biehn. The pair decided to put their passion for acting and filmmaking into creating their own production company. Most recently, the duo produced the grindhouse film, The Victim which co-stars Danielle Harris. It is currently slated for a late summer theatrical release through Anchor Bay Films.