I Kill Giants

Home , 1492 Pictures, Michael Barnathan

1492 Pictures/Ocean Blue Entertainment Presents an XYZ Films Production a Umedia Production

in association with uFund Man of Action Parallel Pictures

I KILL GIANTS

Directed By ANDERS WALTER

Starring MADISON WOLFE, IMOGEN POOTS, ZOE SALDANA, SYDNEY WADE

Produced by CHRIS COLUMBUS, MICHAEL BARNATHAN, KIM MAGNUSSON, ADRIAN POLITOWSKI, NICK SPICER, KYLE FRANKE

Running Time: 104 minutes

TIFF SALES CONTACT: XYZ Films [email protected]

TIFF PUBLICITY CONTACT: The DDA Group [email protected]

I KILL GIANTS

SHORT SYNOPSIS I Kill Giants tells the story of Barbara Thorson (Madison Wolfe), a teenage girl who chooses to escape the realities of school and a drab family life by retreating into her magical world of Titans and Giants.

With the help of her new friend Sophia (Sydney Wade) and her school therapist (Zoe Saldana), Barbara will learn to battle her Giants and face her fears – tackling the mean bullies at school, her sister (Imogen Poots) and her difficult home life and eventually her biggest dread of the unknown.

I Kill Giants, an adaptation of Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura's Man of Action/Image Comics internationally acclaimed graphic novel is directed by Academy Award-winning director Anders Walter.

LONG SYNOPSIS Barbara Thorson (Madison Wolfe) kills giants; she devotes every moment of time she can in researching all the variations of giants, learning how to kill them, laying traps and, when a giant strikes her town, killing it.

BARBARA resides with her gaming obsessed teenage brother DAVE and her workaholic sister KAREN (Imogen Poots); their life appears somewhat ramshackle; Karen seems to be barely holding down a job, interspersing her disastrous attempts at cooking with frantic phone calls to her boss, desperately fighting to keep her position. Dave lives in a world of computer games with his friends whilst Barbara lives in the basement, her den in which she has constructed a fortress of protection against the giants and where she plots her next moves, drawing runes and reciting spells for protection. Her actual bedroom, upstairs, is not a room in which she ever sets foot. Indeed ‘upstairs’ is a place she no longer dares to go, as if something sinister and terrifying appears to lurk up there.

Barbara’s giant-hunting is perpetually interrupted by her requirement to attend school, where she is an outcast, seen as a geeky-weirdo who spends her life with her head buried in odd books and adorns herself with a rabbit-ears headband. She is rude and sarcastic to her teachers, seemingly unafraid of and lacking any respect for authority. She finds herself called to see the new school Psychiatrist, MRS MOLLE (Zoe Saldana); Barbara sees this as just another distraction preventing her from her vital research and preparation for the next giant attack. Similarly distracting is the arrival of SOPHIA (Sydney Wade) who moves in across from Barbara. Sophia is eager to befriend her new neighbor and classmate, despite her squeamishness and lack of interest in such ‘geeky’ books, and takes an interest in giant-lore. Barbara cautiously allows Sophia a peek into her dangerous world and they begin to form an unusual friendship.

Any normality or stability in Barbara’s life is, however, constantly threatened by the forces around her she only just manages to keep at bay. She sees ‘Harbingers’ – odd spindly cloaked creatures – lurking around corners and dark spaces, runes and strange symbols appear and other omens constantly threaten any momentary peace; another giant attack is coming and she is frantically trying to prepare for it. As a result, her behavior becomes all the more erratic and soon she garners the attention of the female bully in her year, TAYLOR, who delights in demonstrating to everyone else what a freak-show Barbara is.

Barbara is initially, by and large, able to resist Taylor concocting various witty put-downs. Taylor is, however, ruthless in her desire to destroy Barbara and turns her attention to Sophia. After threats and violence Sophia confesses Barbara’s belief she is a giant hunter and killer, which Taylor takes delight in ridiculing Barbara about. Barbara’s unwavering resolve starts to crack and we understand there are no giants; there is something far more real, which haunts Barbara’s life, though, and it is her giant-killing activities which she uses to as the façade to escape into and to give the demons she faces a form she believes she can control and destroy. Much as we, the reader, understand the giants to be a figment of Barbara’s imagination, she is still utterly convinced they are a real and dangerous force threatening her family.

As a bad storm rips through Barbara’s seaside town, she prepares for the biggest challenge she has faced thus far. With the help of her new friend Sophia, she begins to realize she no longer needs to face her biggest fear alone.

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL Joe Kelly's Eisner-nominated I Kill Giants (illustrated by Ken Niimura) received numerous awards and accolades domestically and internationally including the "International Manga Award" in 2012 and was named the one of the "Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens" by the Young Adult Library Services Association upon its release. Now I Kill Giants is in post-production as a feature film with a script by Kelly and produced by Kelly, Man of Action Entertainment, Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures, XYZ Films and UMedia.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

I Kill Giants is the sweeping, bittersweet story of a young girl struggling to conquer monsters, both real and imagined, as her world crumbles at the feet of giants bigger than any one child can handle.

I was really touched and moved when I first read the script for I Kill Giants. It is funny, it had me laughing out loud many times. The story looks at fantasy through a real-world lens and make it feel real because of the level of emotions. The strength of the story is obviously the emotional one of Barbara and my ambition as a director is to prioritize her inner journey, since this is what makes the story so compelling.

This is not just a story about bravery and courage. It is a tale of friendship and family, of growing up and facing your demons, and of learning to cope with any situation that is thrown at you. Barbara’s growth through the story should be inspiring to every young girl, boy, father, mother, or grandparents. Barbara resonates in you with such a force that it is impossible to shake her off.

At its core, I Kill Giants is a character piece and it is important for me to really emphasize that. There are some characters in here that care so much that your heart literally aches. There are characters in this film who bully and act tough but they don’t come close to the real giants in Barbara’s life. These young women set examples to us all on how to support and empower one another instead of tearing each other down.

DIRECTOR ANDERS WALTER

Born in Arhus, Denmark, Anders Walter is an OSCAR winning film director and screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for his short film HELIUM in 2014. Another of his short films 9 METER was shortlisted for an OSCAR in 2013. Originally an illustrator at DDB Needham in Denmark, Anders attended the School of Visual Arts in New York for Film. He is also the founder of the studio The Dance Palace. He has also directed more than 25 music videos for various Danish artists.

Anders is both a voting member of The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences and the Danish Film Academy. I Kill Giants is his first feature film.

WRITERS JOE KELLY

Man of Action Entertainment is the bi-coastal writers' collective behind comic's largest franchise characters as well as original characters published by their Man of Action imprint at Image Comics. The four met while working on Marvel and DC most prized franchises from Superman to X-Men and realized that they were stronger together. Man of Action launched Disney XD's Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers Assemble as EXP/writers. Man of Action also created the characters and team Big Hero 6, featured in Disney/Marvel's Academy Award®-winning feature and the only comic book IP to win that award. Man of Action are the creator/producer/ writers of current and upcoming live-action feature films and TV series based on their original comic books and graphic novels including I Kill Giants, Officer Downe, Kafka, The Crusades and The Great Unknown.

Joe Kelly's legendary Superman story, Action Comics #775: "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?" was turned into a hit DC Universe 2012 animated film, Superman vs. The Elite, scripted by Kelly. He's long been credited with revising and revitalizing Deadpool and his creative thumbprint informed the characters, villains and origin story featured in the mega-hit film franchise.

Kelly's recent comic book projects include the dark irreverent comedy, Bad Dog, Four Eyes, the genre-splicing revenge tale about dragon-fighting in depression-era Manhattan, and BANG!TANGO, a crime noir thriller that is violent, sexy, and perverse while simultaneously an examination of violence, sex, and perversion. Kelly also launched the New York Times Bestseller Spider-Man/Deadpool for Marvel. His MOA/Image series, Kid Savage, debuted in May and was Image's FCBD selection in 2017. His Kickstarter-funded short film, Poughkeepsie, debuts this year.

J.M. KEN NIIMURA

At the crossroads of Japanese, European and American comics, Ken Niimura has developed a dynamic, vibrant and humorous style of his own.

His breakthrough in the industry came with the publication of the acclaimed graphic novel, "I Kill Giants," earning co-creators illustrator Niimura and writer Joe Kelly nominations for the prestigious Eisner Award and won the International Manga Award in 2012. "I Kill Giants" is now a soon-to-be released feature film. Niimura is also the author of the short story collection "Henshin," published originally in Japan by Shogakukan. His new series, “Umami,” is scheduled to launch this fall.

CAST MADISON WOLFE

Madison made her debut with the Will Ferrel-Zach Galifinakis comedy The Campaign and in the last two years has racked up a considerable amount of credits. While managing the workload of school, she simultaneously landed the role in The Campaign, and On the Road, directed by Walter Salles opposite Kristen Stewart and Sam Riley amongst other A- listers. Wasting no time, Madison landed a number of recurring television guest star roles in 2014 and 2015. Most notable is her recurring role as Audrey Hart – Woody Harrelson’s daughter – on HBO’s groundbreaking acclaimed series, True Detective. She also appeared in CBS’ thriller Zoo, as well as ABC’s hit show Astronaut Wives Club.

Her other recent credits include David O’Russel’s Joy with Jennifer Lawrence, and Trumbo where she played Bryan Cranston and Diane Lane’s child opposite Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren and John Goodman. Madison nabbed the leading role in New Line’s The Conjuring 2 directed by James Wan which is set to be released June 2016. The cast includes Frances O’Conner, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.

ZOE SALDANA

Zoe Saldana is the epitome of a true star in Hollywood, and has built her reputation as a versatile and respected actress by choosing roles that she feels passionately about. Saldana just wrapped Avengers: Infinity Wars, where she will reprise her role as the fan- favorite ‘Gamora,’ which is slated to release in 2018. Saldana lent her talents as the voice of Captain Celaeno in the upcoming animated Lionsgate film, My Little Pony: The Movie which will release in October. This past May, Saldana was once again seen opposite Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper in Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy 2, where she again, stared as the franchise’s lethal alien assassin, ‘Gamora’. The movie was a blockbuster success grossing over 380 million domestically.

Saldana recently starred in Live By Night, directed by Ben Affleck. Saldana costarred with Ben Affleck and Sienna Miller. Saldana was also seen in Star Trek: Beyond, the third installment to the 2009 blockbuster hit. Saldana played ‘Nyota Uhura’ opposite Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. The J.J. Abrams’ action-packed film grossed $185 Million at the box office.

Saldana is best known in her starring role as ‘Neytiri’ in the record breaking film, Avatar, James Cameron’s sci-fi thriller, co-starring Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington. Avatar quickly became the highest grossing film of all time, winning the 2010 Golden Globe for Best Director and Best Picture. Avatar went on to receive a total of nine 2010 Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture. Saldana recently commenced with production on the film’s highly anticipated sequels Avatar 2, 3 and 4 slated for a 2019 release.

IMOGEN POOTS

Imogen can most recently be seen as the female lead in renowned director Cameron Crowe’s Roadies, his debut television project. The series is a modern-day ensemble piece which chronicles a life on the road with the crew behind a rock band, which premiered June 2016 on Showtime.

Imogen can also be seen opposite Michael Shannon in Matthew M. Ross’ Frank and Lola. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival where Universal acquired the distribution rights. Imogen was recently seen in Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room, portraying ‘Amber,' a young woman in a punk rock band who finds themselves trapped in a secluded venue after stumbling upon a horrific act of violence. The film made its premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and was distributed in the US by Broad Green in April 2016. She also appeared opposite Andy Samberg in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, which Universal released domestically on June 03, 2016.

Prior to this, Imogen starred as ‘Della' in Terrence Mallick's The Knight of Cups with stars Christian Bale and Natalie Portman. She was most recently seen in John Ridley’s All Is By My Side co-starring Andre Benjamin and Hayley Atwell, Pascal Chaumameil's A Long Way Down with Aaron Paul, Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette and Irvine Welsh's Filth, a follow up to Trainspotting, with James McAvoy.

SYDNEY WADE

Sydney Wade is a British actress best known for Disney Channel’s family fantasy series “Wolfblood” and ITV’s “Marchlands.” She was most recently in Benedict Andrews’ Una. Her other credits include: Tom Hooper's The Damned United for Sony Pictures, Fernando Meirelles’ 360 for Magnolia Pictures, the drama series “Casualty” for the BBC, and acclaimed adventure drama series “Doctor Who”.

RORY JACKSON

Rory Jackson, 15, comes from an acting family and indeed her first feature film, You, was made by her family, starring her family! Her mother is Melora Hardin (“The Office,” and Emmy nominated for “Transparent”), her father is Gildart Jackson (“Charmed,” “Providence”) and her grandfather is Jerry Hardin (The Firm, Reds). Jackson’s grandmother, Diane Hardin, is a world-renowned teacher of young actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessica Biel) and Jackson has been studying with her since she was 7 years old. I Kill Giants is her second feature and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to play such a big bully. In addition to acting, Jackson has been playing violin since she was 7. She also plays piano, dances and sings and hopes to be on Broadway someday.

PRODUCERS

CHRIS COLOMBUS

Chris Columbus is an Academy Award-nominated director, writer and producer. His directorial credits include Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, where he cast newcomers Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the leading roles, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, Stepmom, Rent and many more critically acclaimed films. Columbus first gained prominence by writing several original scripts produced by Steven Spielberg, including the back-to-back hits Gremlins and The Goonies. In 2011, Columbus produced the blockbuster hit The Help, which garnered four nominations, including one for Best Picture. In 2013, Columbus teamed up with Eleanor Columbus to form Maiden Voyage Pictures. Maiden Voyage’s film credits include Sara Colangelo's Little Accidents, Jonas Carpignano's Mediterranea, Robert Eggers' The Witch and Sian Heder's Tallulah. Maiden Voyage’s fifth film by Geremy Jasper, Patti Cake$ will be released by Fox Searchlight on August 18. A24 will release their sixth endeavor, Joshua Z. Weinstein’s Menashe, on July 28.

MICHAEL BARNATHAN

Michael Barnathan is President of 1492 Pictures, in which he is a producing partner with Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe. Michael has served as producer on numerous 1492 projects including “The Help” (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), and the “Night at the Museum” trilogy. He has also produced such Columbus-directed projects as “Nine Months,” “Rent,” “Stepmom,” “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” and “Pixels.” He also was Executive Producer on “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and “Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.”

Prior to joining 1492 Pictures, Barnathan was Senior Vice President of Production for Largo Entertainment. Before joining Largo, Barnathan served as Executive Vice President of Production for Edgar J. Scherick Associates. Barnathan is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

ADRIAN POLITOWSKI

Credited with more than 300 movies, he dedicates himself to the development of the English-language production arm and is therefore managing London and Los Angeles offices. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the European Film Academy and YPO (Young President Organization). His expertise as film financier and producer allows him to be a regular speaker at industry events. Adrian graduated as Engineer and has a Master in Economy from Oxford University.

NICK SPICER

Spicer started XYZ in 2008 with partners Nate Bolotin and Aram Tertzakian. From 2006 – 2008 he was a partner in Idiomatic Entertainment, an unscripted television company, where he developed series for Animal Planet, Comedy Central, and VH1. During that time he independently produced a Spanish-language feature film in Mexico with the involvement of both Bolotin and Tertzakian, an experience that helped shape the international nature of XYZ’s production business today.

Spicer received an MFA from the UCLA Producers Program in 2006. He majored in English, History and French at Rice University, where he was a National Merit Scholar. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2004. Spicer was born in Seattle, Washington.

KYLE FRANKE

KYLE FRANKE is a film and television producer and writer. His recent work includes the films MERCY, HOLIDAYS, ARQ, OUR HOUSE and I KILL GIANTS. Kyle has served as head of Head of Development for XYZ films and as a development executive at Davis Entertainment and 20th Century Fox. Franke started his career working for Robert Newman at ICM after attending the UCLA Producers Program, where he has since taught as an adjunct professor.

KIM MAGNUSSON

In 1995 Kim founded M&M Productions with his father, Tivi Magnusson. He was later headhunted to run Nordisk Film's Film Division as CEO from 2003 - 2009. In the years 1995- 2017 he has produced or EP'ed more than 120 films such as: I Kill Giants, Men & Chicken, Adam's Apples, Flickering Lights, The Green Butchers, Headhunter, Terkel In Trouble, Worlds Apart, R, Pusher Ii & Iii, Noi Albinoi. He has been Oscar® nominated in the category "Live Action Short Film" six times, and won the coveted award in 1999 for Election Night and in 2014 for Helium.

Kim Magnusson has been the chairman of the Danish Producers Association for 9 years (most ever), as well as chairman of the Danish Film Academy - a position he has had since 1999. Kim is a voting member of AMPAS® and as well as both The Danish and The European Film Academy. In 2010 he launched Dansk Film Kompagni to develop and produce high-end, commercial-driven film for the international market, and splits his time between Copenhagen, Denmark and Los Angeles, USA, where he has multiple projects in development incl. Last Witness, optioned by John Davis and 20th Century Fox, the life of Victor Borge and many more.

MARTIN METZ

After a year at Disney in France, Martin Metz joined Umedia in 2008 and has been setting up co-productions since. His credits include Me, Myself and Mum (Guillaume Gallienne), Yves Saint Laurent (Jalil Lespert), Black 47 (Lance Daly) and Submergence (Wim Wenders) which will premiere at TIFF this year. I Kill Giants, which will also be premiering at TIFF, will mark Metz’s debut as a producer.

With the participation of

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