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Film executive Todd Brown has launched Rawk Moving Pictures Corp, a new Canadian production house.
One of the company’s first titles is “Two Gun Cohen,” the English-language debut of Hong Kong director Johnnie To.
Brown,
also a film critic and festival programmer, spent 17 years as head of international acquisitions at XYZ Films, where his credits included “The Raid: Redemption,” “Mandy,” “The Night Comes for Us,” “Mile End Kicks” and “The Furious.” He said the same appetite for bold experimentation will guide his new venture at Rawk.
“Unusual stories from striking talent is the entire fun of this industry,” Brown said. “Rawk will be far less driven by scale or model than by the simple question of whether the story and the talent behind it are great.”
“Two Gun Cohen” is based on the true story of Morris Cohen, a Jewish immigrant to Canada who settled on the Prairies and met Dr. Sun Yat-sen before Sun rose to become the father of modern China. Cohen would later act as Sun’s protector and confidant through the years of the Chinese Revolution. To has described the project as a “dim sum Western.”
Chris Yurkovich of Fiera Stranga and Michael Solomon of Band With Pictures round out the producing team, with Solomon serving as executive producer. Patrick Whistler is attached to write, and the project has received development backing from Telefilm Canada. The project heads to Frontieres, the co-production and market showcase at the Toronto market, this September, where Rawk will seek financiers, co-producers and sales partners.
Brown said working alongside a filmmaker of To’s stature does not change his broader approach. “Obviously with an iconic talent like Johnnie there are certain things that become much easier but I’ll keep on tilting at windmills – as I’ve always done – and championing new voices from all around the globe as well,” he said.
Rawk’s early slate also includes “Necropolis,” a scifi horror feature marking the directorial debut of writer-director Solmund MacPherson; Lee Marshall of Returning Productions co-produces. Corey Adams, who directed “Machotaildrop” and the entirety of Markiplier series “The Edge of Sleep,” follows up with the cult comedy “The Barbarian King,” written by “Night Patrol” scribe Tim Cairo, with Michael Peterson of Peterson Polaris on board as co-producer. Writer-director Hal Haberman returns to features with “Mr. Magnificent,” described as absurd yet heartfelt, following his Sundance-selected debut “Special,” produced in partnership with Amber Ripley of Goodbye Productions.
“I couldn’t be more excited for this next phase of my life in film,” Brown said. “The opportunity to work alongside talents that have been personal idols of mine while also collaborating with good friends in support of new and overlooked talent is truly invigorating. I look forward to applying everything I’ve learned in the different aspects of my life to driving these amazing stories and talents forward.”
