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MY SPYDirected by: Peter Segal Starring: Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, Ken JeongRELEASED IN UK CINEMAS 13th MARCH 2020Running time: 99minsFor further information contact: STXinternationalFor images and clips contact: Panther DMSDave Bautista plays a hardened covert operative who finds himself out-maneuvered by a precocious youngster in MY SPY. When CIA field agent Jason Jones – JJ to his friends – is demoted to a light surveillance detail, he finds himself at the mercy of a sweet but determined 9-year-old girl, Sophie (Chloe Coleman), who uses her tech savviness and street smarts to find JJ’s undercover hideout near the apartment she shares with her mother. In exchange for not blowing JJ’s cover, Sophie convinces him to spend time with her and teach her to be a spy. Despite his reluctance, JJ finds he is no match for Sophie’s disarming charm, intelligence and aptitude for espionage.Blending action, humor and an unexpected friendship between a mega-tough superspy and a fatherless child, MY SPY, says its star and producer Dave Bautista, “is really about heart. You have an emotional investment in these characters and their story.”Bautista compares MY SPY’s surprising genre-blending to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films, in which he played fan favorite Drax. “The Guardians films are about family, but are disguised as superhero films, just as this one is a heartfelt relationship story, disguised as an action-comedy.”Directed by Peter Segal (Get Smart), from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (The Meg), MY SPY is produced by Chris Bender, Peter Segal, Jake Weiner, Robert Simonds, and Gigi Pritzker, Bautista and his producing partner Jonathan Meisner. Rachel Shane, Adrian Alperovich, Michael Flynn, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hober and Adam Fogelson serve as executive producers.MY SPY also stars Kristen Schaal as JJ’s partner, Parisa Fitz-Henley as Sophie’s protective mom, and Ken Jeong as JJ’s caustic and disapproving boss. HE’S A PRO. SHE’S A NATURAL.We meet Bautista’s JJ -- flashing his piercing eyes and wearing a suit that barely contains his formidable physique – in a faraway desert, where he’s demonstrating his cowboy heroics and expertise in kicking butt, as he wipes out a band of bad guys carrying a plutonium pit. “JJ is ex-Special Forces, so action and heroics are what he’s good at,” confirms Bautista. JJ’s natural badassery is offset by his challenges with the covert spy stuff, which requires subtlety, finesse and emotional intelligence. None of which JJ possesses. When he returns to CIA headquarters, JJ’s boss David Kim (Ken Jeong) dresses him down for botching the mission, the goal of which was to discover what the terrorists knew. But that’s going to be a little difficult, given that JJ has killed them all.Kim gives JJ one last shot to succeed as an agent: a seemingly lightweight surveillance assignment. Grunt work. Moreover, JJ’s been saddled with a new partner, Roberta “Bobbi” Ulf (Kristen Schaal), a tech specialist and aspiring field agent with messy hair, unkempt clothes, and an acerbic manner. “This is all a punishment for JJ, so he’s not thrilled about it,” says Bautista. “Now, he and his pet fish, Blueberry, are stuck in this apartment with a partner who’s been forced on JJ. Even worse, he’s running surveillance -- to him, it’s really babysitting –and he thinks it’s a really embarrassing situation.”Segal notes, “As our story begins, we see Dave in his element, playing a mega-tough professional who dispatches the villains with ease. But now he’s going into a more nuanced world that demands a different, more subtle skillset, as opposed to a guy with a machine gun in the desert. Getting information, instead of breaking necks, doesn’t come so easily to JJ.” Adds producer Chris Bender: “Dave brings a pathos to his roles, including Drax and, now, JJ. There’s a history in that face!”As if JJ’s mickey-mouse gig weren’t bad enough, things get even more uncomfortable for the beleaguered agent. He and Bobbi have planted high-tech cameras in a neighboring apartment occupied by a nine-year-old girl, Sophie, and her mother, Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley), whose deceased husband was connected to the terrorists JJ had eliminated earlier. But the ingenious young lady, with the assistance of her dog, discovers one of the cameras and tracks down JJ and Bobbi to their once “covert” lair. Lonely and friendless, Sophie blackmails JJ to be her new best friend – and teach her everything he knows about being a spy. Desperate not to have his cover blown … by a child, no less … JJ reluctantly promises (actually, Chloe makes him pinky-swear) that he’ll go ice skating with her, be her guest at her school’s Special Friends Day, humor the other kids with a ride on a teeter-totter and a game of dodgeball, and teach Chloe the finer points of spycraft. Not only does Sophie have JJ wrapped around her little finger, she quickly becomes adept at beating a lie detector test, outsmarts JJ in a training move, and learns some of the “fun” spy stuff, like how to walk away from an explosion without looking back, or figuring out pithy statements to make before taking out a bad guy.As Bobbi fumes – she was supposed to be training with JJ! – Chloe and her new pal grow closer, as the youngster attempts her biggest mission: set up her mom, Kate, with JJ. Romance begins to blossom, but first, JJ must deal with villains who are closing in on him and his new family – as Chloe puts her new skills to the test.The bad guys never had a chance.EVERYBODY LOVES CHLOEThe heart and soul of My Spy is centered around the surprising bond between JJ and Sophie, as brought to life by Bautista and Chloe Coleman. “Our two principals couldn’t be more different,” offers Segal. “One is a nine-year-old girl, the other is a grizzled special ops veteran turned spy.”In casting the young super-sleuth, Segal says he wanted an actress “who could stand toe-to-toe with Dave and be sarcastic and funny with him. Chloe is the real deal. She’s not a ‘child actor’; she’s an actor – a finely-tuned artist. Chloe understands everything, even terms I used during filming that many adults were unfamiliar with. She makes everything about movie-making enjoyable and reminds us that we once looked at it with the same starry eyes she has now.”Segal adds that his favorite on-screen moment between Chloe and Bautista is when JJ reluctantly teaches his young charge how to outsmart a lie detector. “JJ is incredulous at how quickly she not only learns how to beat the machine, but how she turns her new skillset against him. Chloe is so deadpan and really carries it off. She and Dave are brilliant in that scene,” he enthuses. Bender notes, “Chloe not only knew her lines, she knew everybody else’s lines. She’s a natural.”Despite Chloe’s familiarity with movie sets – she’s been acting since age five and previously appeared in the acclaimed HBO mini-series “Big Little Lies” – the young actor admits that MY SPY had a new element that she hadn’t encountered before. “When I was introduced to Dave, I was thinking, Oh my god, he’s a giant! But I quickly pulled it together. We started chatting and got to know each other pretty fast and became good friends. Dave is like a big Teddy bear who can play a really nice guy as easily as he can a tough guy.”Bautista relates that he, too, could be a charter member of the Chloe Coleman Fan Club. “Chloe is special in so many ways,” he explains. “She’s a bright light, and I’m in awe of her. She really loves acting and it comes across in so many ways. You can’t learn what she does; it’s instinctual.”Parisa Fitz-Henley sounds like the proud mother she plays in the film when she exclaims, “I have decided that when I grow up, I want to be Chloe Coleman – and Sophie. You just want to cheer and root for Chloe. She, along with Pete [Segal] and the writers have created this wonderful character.”A SPY IN WAITING … AND WAITINGAs Chloe’s path to becoming a junior master spy blossoms under JJ’s reluctant tutelage, his actual partner, Bobbi, feels like she’s been left behind. Kristen Schaal, who takes on the role, notes that this is especially maddening for Bobbi because, “She’s eager to leave the office and tech side of the operation and get out in the field and take down bad guys. Bobbi wants to be recognized as JJ’s partner and equal.”Bobbi’s frustration level escalates as Sophie becomes increasingly espionage-savvy. “Sophie is not only getting closer to JJ, she pretty much starts running the mission,” Schaal notes. “So, Bobbi’s not thrilled with Sophie.” Yes, she’s actually jealous of a nine-year-old.“Bobbi confronts JJ, demanding to know why he’s teaching Sophie, and not Bobbi, everything he knows,” Schaal continues. “And JJ is clueless about handling her frustration, which drives her even more crazy. They’re like a bickering married couple.”The role was initially written for a male, which, says Bautista, “felt a little like a cliché.” It was popular actor and Academy? Award nominated screenwriter, Kumail Nunjiani, who had recently starred opposite Bautista in the comedy Stuber, who suggested Schaal. “Kristen is a gifted comic actress who brings a lot of fun and heart to the character,” Bautista says. MOMMA BEARChloe’s mother, Kate, an ER nurse working long hours, is at first oblivious to her daughter’s friendship with JJ – not to mention her lessons in espionage. Then there’s Chloe’s other top-secret operation: to make a love connection between her mom and JJ. But Chloe’s master plan goes sideways when Kate spots JJ and Chloe holding hands as they’re enjoying ice cream cones. The protective “momma bear” springs into action, swatting away JJ’s cone and kneeing him in his … “special ops.” Obviously, the scene was carefully mapped out in advance, and Parisa Fitz-Henley jokes that, “I’m proud to say I did not damage Dave Bautista in any lasting way!”“Dave’s this big, warm person – and I’m probably ruining his reputation as an action superhero as I say those words, aren’t I?” she adds with a smile.FED UPPopular comic actor Ken Jeong (the Hangover films, Crazy Rich Asians) portrays JJ and Bobbi’s exasperated and fed-up boss, David Kim. Kim has pretty much had it with JJ’s take-no-prisoners exploits and lack of field smarts, so he banishes him to monitor a woman and her young daughter in a nondescript Chicago apartment building. “Kim is definitely a by-the-book, control-freakish CIA boss,” Jeong confirms. Seeking to put a fun spin on the character, Jeong gave Kim a backstory: “He’s at a tough place in his life and taking it out on everyone, especially JJ,” he explains.Jeong was thrilled to reunite with Segal, with whom the actor had collaborated on the television film “Ken Jeong Made Me Do It,” and whom Jeong describes as a “dear friend.” Moreover, he embraced the opportunity to work opposite Bautista, of whom he’s a longtime fan. “I loved Dave’s work in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and in the recent Blade Runner, as well as his wrestling with the WWE. So, Dave is a towering figure in my worldview. He’s the real deal and very soulful. I’m so impressed with his range and heart.”ON THIN ICEFor action movie veteran Bautista, MY SPY’s big set pieces and stunts were all in a day’s work. But for Chloe Coleman, they provided new and wondrous experiences. “This was the first time I got to do my own stunts, including jumping out of a [grounded] airplane, and it was a lot of fun,” she remarks. A high point were the explosions and running during the film’s climax – “definitely my favorite scenes to film,” she adds.But there was one “stunt” that Chloe mastered much more quickly than her co-star: an ice-skating sequence where JJ reluctantly accompanies Chloe on a sojourn to a local rink. Unfortunately – for Bautista – the Toronto location (standing in for Chicago) had yet to undergo winter’s worst, and the water had not completely frozen. The combination of an extra-slippery surface and Bautista’s inexperience with skating … well, it wasn’t pretty. “I’m a horrible ice skater,” he confesses. Adds Segal, with a laugh: “Yeah, it was like 280 pounds of Brian Boitano on ice!”Equally daunting for Bautista was a dance scene featuring the actor and Fitz-Henley – the culmination of JJ and Kate’s first date. But according to Fitz-Henley, the actor, a natural athlete, acquitted himself well, as JJ fully commits to enjoying himself on the dance floor. “The scene brings out a side of JJ that Kate didn’t expect to see – and definitely brings out a side of Dave that audiences won’t expect to see,” she says. CHLOE’S ****ING SWEAR JAREver mindful that a youngster – Chloe – was frequently on set, cast and crew endeavored mightily to avoid using “colorful” language. To aid their efforts, and maybe make a little extra cash on the side, Chloe set up a swear jar, to which each member of the MY SPY production team had to contribute each time they’d inadvertently utter an expletive.Some knew the task would be impossible and planned accordingly. Prior to becoming an actor, Bautista spent years in the rough-and-tumble world of professional wrestling, where, he says, “bad language is a fact of life.” He knew abiding by this edict would be the greatest, if not most hopeless, challenge of his career, so he surrendered at its onset. “This was a mission impossible for me, so I just gave Chloe 50 dollars – paid in advance,” he says with a smile. To make sure the others kept to the agreement, or paid the price for non-compliance, Chloe, like her onscreen character, went into super-stealth mode, spying on her castmates and the crew. “Everybody had to be on their toes because Chloe was always lurking in the shadows, just waiting for you to say a bad word,” remembers Bautista.Segal, who became known on-set as “King of the F-bombs,” was a frequent target. “That ******* swear jar was the bane of my existence,” he jokes. “Too often, I was the victim of Chloe’s sneak attacks.”MISSION’S ENDAs he puts the finishing touches on MY SPY, Segal shares that he “wanted to give audiences something unexpected: Dave Bautista being vulnerable and funny, as well as badass and tough. I compare his acting and on-screen presence to Clint Eastwood’s – it’s contained, grounded, real and subtle.” “This film has all the action you expect from Dave’s films, as well as the romance and heart you don’t expect from a Dave Bautista movie,” he continues. “It has elements of a family comedy, that’s also relatable to adults, all wrapped up in a big action movie.”Concludes Bautista: “I can’t wait for audiences to experience MY SPY. I knew we were onto something special from the day Chloe and I filmed our first scene together – in fact, from our first chemistry read.”“Along with the action and comedy, there’s an inspiring message of two very, very different kinds of people coming together against all odds. That’s inspiring. And now, more than ever, audiences need a good laugh and to be entertained.”# # #ABOUT THE CASTDAVE BAUTISTA (JJ) starred as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel feature Guardians of the Galaxy, opposite Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana. The film follows an unlikely cast of characters, including an American pilot and a group?of ex-cons, who join forces and go on the run to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions.?The sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, premiered on May 5th, 2017, adding Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone to the cast. It crossed over 863 million dollars at the box office. The Guardians have since joined the Avengers, in Avengers; Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both of which broke box-office records around the world.Bautista is in production on the highly anticipated remake of Dune, starring opposite Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, for director Denis Villeneuve. He also made a highly anticipated return to wrestling to headline WWE’s WrestleMania on April 7th in New Jersey.Bautista made his comedy debut in the Fox feature film Stuber, starring opposite Kumail Nanjiani. The film, directed by Michael Dowse, opened on July 12th and centers around an unsuspecting Uber driver named Stu, who gets into a harrowing night of mayhem. In 2018, Bautista was seen in Hotel Artemis, starring opposite Jodie Foster and Sterling K. Brown, about a nurse who runs a secret, members-only emergency room for criminals, as well as the action film Final Score, where he played an ex-soldier forced to save a football stadium full of fans from terrorists. In November 2015, Bautista was seen in the Sony feature Spectre, the 24th instalment of the James Bond series. Starring opposite Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz and Lea Seydoux, Bautista played Hinx, a fast-driving, battle-hardened hitman for the secretive terrorist cartel SPECTRE. ?Bautista is best-known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a six-time world champion and an international spokesman for the organization. Bautista retired from the WWE to focus on his acting career in mid-2010.Past film credits include Blade Runner 2049, Escape Plan 2 &3, Bushwick, Luc Besson’s Warrior Gate, Universal’s Riddick?and The Man with the Iron Fists. Past television credits include Chuck, Headcase, and Smallville.CHLOE COLEMAN (Sophie) is an American child actor based in Los Angeles, California. Of Eastern European, English and African descent, Chloe is an inexhaustible force of athletic ability, contagiously good spirits, and a perceptive mind. The daughter of a camera operator and former actress, Chloe?began acting at age five when cast as a ballerina dancer on “Glee,” for Fox. Her big break came with her portrayal of Skye Carlson in HBO's award-winning series “Big Little Lies,” directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (Season 1) and Andrea Arnold (Season 2). Prior to that, Chloe appeared as Idit Obadya in Amazon's “Transparent,” as well as Zoe Sturgis on ABC's “Superstore.” Yet to be released works include: James Cameron's Avatar 2, in which Chloe plays Lo'ak; and the Amazon series “Upload,” directed by Greg Daniels. In her spare time, Chloe loves reading, art, dance, piano, archery, animation, and directing/editing movies with her friends. Chloe is a competitive swimmer and straight “A” student, who has a lot of faith in our world and the lovely people in it.?KRISTEN SCHAAL (Bobbi) voices the role of Trixie in Toy Story 4, premiering June 20, 2019. On TV, she can be seen starring in the Fox series, “The Last Man On Earth,” opposite Will Forte, and in the FX series “What We Do In The Shadows.” Most recently Schaal was seen in the feature film, Boundaries, opposite Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer for Sony Classics. Her other credits include All Nighter opposite JK Simmons and Emile Hirsch, The Boss opposite Melissa McCarthy for Universal, and A Walk In The Woods, directed by Ken Kwapis, opposite Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. Schaal was the Senior Women’s Issues Correspondent for “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”She voices the character of Louise in the FOX animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” which is currently in its eighth season. Schaal was the lead voice in Zodiac for Dreamworks and has won an Annie award for her work in “Gravity Falls.” She has also lent her voice to “The Simpons.”?Other film and television credits include Toy Story 3, Dinner for Schmucks, “30 Rock,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Mad Men,” “Modern Family,” and her Comedy Central half-hour special, “Live at the Fillmore,” among others. Schaal appeared in “The Coward” at The Lincoln Center Theatre and was awarded The Lucille Lortel Award for her performance.?Schaal is also a published author. She co-authored a sex guide,?The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex, with husband and “Daily Show” writer, Rich Blomquist.Born in Kingston, Jamaica to an American mother and Jamaican father, PARISA FITZ-HENLEY?(Kate) grew up between the island and the small town of Gulfport, Florida. She got her start acting in New York, then Los Angeles, acquiring a diverse array of experiences in film, television and theater. Fitz-Henley just finished shooting Fantasy Island, for Blumhouse, alongside Michael Pe?a and?Lucy Hale. She also recently completed the second season as a series regular on NBC’s "Midnight Texas," where Fitz-Henley portrays Fiji Cavanaugh. She won the hearts of superhero fans with her portrayal of Dr. Reva Connors in Marvel’s "Jessica Jones" and "Luke Cage," and the hearts of romantics with her interpretation of Meghan Markle in the movie "Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance." Along with a growing roster of acting credits, Fitz-Henley rounds out her creative endeavors with singing and songwriting as one-half of the band Would Be Royals.KEN JEONG (David Kim) has established himself as one of today’s top comedic stars. Since his feature film debut playing the doctor in Knocked Up in 2007, Jeong has gone on to star in several memorable roles in a series of successful comedies.This past summer, Jeong appeared in the Warner Bros. box-office sensation Crazy Rich Asians, which grossed over $150 million worldwide and earned multiple awards nominations, including Golden Globes, SAG, and People’s Choice. Crazy Rich Asians earned the Best Acting Ensemble award at the National Board of Review awards, as well as Best Comedy at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Upcoming projects include El Tonto, starring, written and directed by Charlie Day. In February 2019, Jeong?returned?to his stand-up roots for his first-ever hit Netflix comedy special,?“Ken?Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho.”?Filmed at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, California, where?Jeong got his start in comedy, the special?reflects on how?he?went from being a doctor to a comedy superstar.? In television, Jeong was most recently seen as a judge on the Fox hit celebrity reality singing competition “The Masked Singer.” Prior to that, he starred on ABC’s “Dr. Ken,” on which he was the creator, writer, and executive producer. He also was a series regular on the critically acclaimed NBC show “Community,” from 2009-2015, which won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy Series in 2012. In 2015, Jeong directed an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Student Athlete,” and also starred in and produced the Sundance award-winning film Advantageous, which received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Jeong will return to television screens, with Shaquille O’Neal, in an unscripted TBS series pilot, “Unqualified,” for which he will also serve as an executive producer. Additionally, Jeong has been tapped as the lead of CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot “The Emperor of Malibu,” from Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan. Jeong’s career path started off on a different course. He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to get his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. Jeong completed his Internal Medicine residency in New Orleans, all the while developing his comedy act. In 1995, Jeong won the Big Easy Laff Off. The competition, which was judged by former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and Improv founder Budd Friedman, turned out to be his big break, as Tartikoff and Friedman urged Jeong to head to Los Angeles. Once in Los Angeles, he began performing regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory and was seen on a number of television shows, including “The Office,” “Entourage” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” It wasn’t until Jeong caught the attention of Judd Apatow, who cast him as Dr. Kuniin Knocked Up, that he solidified himself as a feature film actor. In 2008, Jeong had his first major role opposite Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott as the villain in David Wain's Role Models. That same year he also appeared in the cult comedy hits Pineapple Express and Step Brothers. In May 2009, Jeong appeared as the Asian-mobster Mr. Chow in the sleeper-hit comedy The Hangover, also starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, which earned Jeong an MTV Movie Award in 2010, with the film earning a Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical and Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy. The Hangover was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy to date, with over $467 million worldwide, only to be trumped by The Hangover Part II, which grossed $581 million worldwide. Jeong reprised his iconic role in The Hangover Part III. His other credits include Wonderpark, Goosebumps 2, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, Despicable Me 2, The Duff, and Couples Retreat. Jeong dedicates his spare time to volunteering with Stand Up 2 Cancer, which is a cause very dear to his heart. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin daughters.ABOUT THE FILMMAKERSPETER SEGAL (Director-Producer) is an award-winning film and television director whose movies have grossed over $1.1 billion to date worldwide. Segal has worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Jennifer Lopez in Second Act; and Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson, in Get Smart.Segal and Adam Sandler had three consecutive hits with 50 First Dates, with Drew Barrymore; Anger Management, with Jack Nicholson; and The Longest Yard, with Chris Rock.Segal made his feature film directorial debut in 1994 with Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, starring Leslie Nielsen, and went on to direct the late Chris Farley in one of the actor’s most memorable films, Tommy Boy. Segal’s other credits include the critically acclaimed My Fellow Americans, starring screen legends Jack Lemmon, James Garner and Lauren Bacall; the 2000 blockbuster comedy Nutty Professor: The Klumps, starring Eddie Murphy and Janet Jackson; and the 2013 comedy, Grudge Match, starring Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone and Kevin Hart.A New York Native, and graduate of the University of Southern California, Segal began his career writing and directing television, earning eight Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, a Cable ACE award for Best Director, two National Association of Broadcasters’ Service to Children Awards, and a Teen Choice Award for Best Summer Comedy, for Get Smart.Brothers JON HOEBER and ERICH HOEBER (Writers) have worked in a diverse array of genres during their 20-year stint in Hollywood. First gaining traction with the 1998 Sundance hit Montana, starring Kyra Sedgwick and Stanley Tucci, the team began a prolific run in features, television, and graphic novels. Highlights include Red, starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich; Red 2; Battleship; and The Meg.Upon meeting Dave Bautista in 2018, Jon and Erich knew they wanted to create a vehicle for his unique comedic voice, resulting in MY SPY. Currently, the brothers are prepping Mighty Mouse for the big screen, as well as a live-action adaptation of the beloved manga, Naruto.Under his GOOD FEAR production company, CHRIS BENDER (Producer) most recent film to be on the big screen is David Robert Mitchell’s Under the Silver Lake with Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, and Topher Grace. The film was screened in competition in Cannes and was released by A24 domestically in April 2019. He is in post-production on Mulan, a live-action version of the classic adventure of a young Chinese maiden who disguises herself as a warrior in order to save her father. Directed by Niki Caro and starring Yifei Liu, Jet Li, Gong Li, and Donnie Yen, the film will be released by Disney on March 27, 2020. Additional projects Bender is working on in development with GOOD FEAR include the romantic comedy Singles Day at New Line; Red Queen, an adaptation of YA New York Times best seller at Universal; Milk?at New Line; Man Alive, a sci-fi project at 20th Century Fox; the feature film version of Dutch filmmaker Nico van den Brink’s short horror film, Sweet Tooth, at New Line; and Sabrina, the story of NFL superstar DeAndre Hopkins’ mother Sabrina Greenlee. For television, he is an Executive Producer on Ice Cream Man in development at UCP. Bender has produced or developed projects that have grown into six franchises in various genres: Final Destination, American Pie, The Ring, Cats & Dogs, The Butterfly Effect,?and The Hangover. Eight of his movies have opened to number one, and Bender was nominated for a Golden Globe? Award for the David Cronenberg directed A History of Violence.?Other projects produced by Bender include the hit comedy We’re the Millers, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis; Horrible Bosses 2, starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day; and Vacation starring Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, and Chris Hemsworth, all for New Line.?JAKE WEINER (Producer) is a partner at GOOD FEAR?CONTENT?where he is a producer and manager. On the film side, Weiner most recently was producer on Under the Silver Lake directed by David Robert Mitchell starring Academy Award? nominee Andrew Garfield which A24 released in April. He is in post-production on Mulan, a live-action version of the classic adventure of a young Chinese young woman who disguises herself as a warrior in order to save her father. Directed by Niki Caro and starring Yifei Liu, Jet Li, Gong Li, and Donnie Yen, the film will be released by Disney on March 27, 2020. On the development front, he is producing Milk?at New Line, producing with James Wan’s Atomic Monster; Red Queen, an adaptation of YA New York Times best seller at Universal, producing with Elizabeth Bank; Singles Day, a Chinese-themed romantic comedy spec script by Lillian Yu; Man Alive, a sci-fi project at 20th Century Fox, producing with Noah Hawley and Hiro Murai attached to direct; the feature film version of Dutch filmmaker Nico van den Brink’s short horror film, Sweet Tooth, at New Line Cinema producing with James Wan’s Atomic Monster; and Sabrina, the story of NFL superstar DeAndre Hopkins’ mother Sabrina Greenlee, producing with Bron. For television, he is an Executive Producer on Ice Cream Man in development at UCP. Weiner’s diverse list of clients include?writer/director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Myth of the American Sleepover); Humanitas winner and Oscar, WGA, and Bafta nominated writer Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures, Frozen 2); documentarian Clay Tweel (Gleason, Netflix’s The Innocent Man); and New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes).??Prior to Good Fear, Weiner?was?a partner at Benderspink where he?developed New Line’s Butterfly Effect and Monster-in-Law; Dreamworks’ Red Eye and I Am Number 4; and Universal’s American Wedding. He served as a Co-Producer on the critically acclaimed and Golden Globe? nominated A History of Violence, and on New Line’s Just Friends. He served as?a Producer on Spyglass/Universal’s Leap Year,?New Line’s The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and Millennium's Criminal.?Weiner?began his career at New Line Cinema in 1996 in New York and then Los Angeles, working in production and development. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America.ROBERT SIMONDS (Producer) is Chairman and CEO of STX Entertainment, a growth company that specializes in producing, financing, distributing and marketing film, TV, digital and VR content at scale.? One of Hollywood's most prolific and profitable entrepreneurs, Mr.?Simonds?is responsible for IP that has generated more than $6 billion in worldwide revenue.? For more than two decades, he has honed an approach to entertainment that is talent driven, financially rigorous, and global in its commercial appeal. He founded STX to unlock the value of the direct connection talent have with their fans, connect Hollywood and China and beyond, and enable the seamless movement of premium content across all platforms.? The company is backed by many prominent global firms, including TPG Growth, Hony Capital, PCCW Media, Tencent and Liberty Global.? Mr.?Simonds?graduated summa cum laude from Yale bining a strong entrepreneurial spirit with the resources of a diversified content company, GIGI PRITZKER (Producer) is focused on making MWM (Madison Wells Media) technologically innovative, astute and nimble in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Devoting her career in media to transforming and shaping the cultural landscape, from her start as an independent feature film producer to her most recent role as Chief Executive Officer at MWM. The hallmark of her career has been championing the voices of established as well as up-and-coming storytellers while growing strong entertainment and digital brands in media. Today, Pritzker continues to advise and invest in digital media startups, primarily focused on new content platforms and maintains a fierce commitment to her diverse philanthropic mitted to supporting the world’s most creative storytellers and passionate about creating opportunities for new voices in the industry; Gigi formed the sales/financing company Oddlot Entertainment in 2001, later merging it into MWM, which she co-founded in 2015 with former Legendary executive Clint Kisker. MWM produces and distributes premium content, including film, television, VR/AR, live theater and digital video, through its divisions MWM Studios, MWM Live, MWM Immersive and MWM Universe. Additionally, MWM has strategic holdings in STX Entertainment, Wevr, The Void, Wonderstorm, Breakwater, and Atom Tickets.Under her leadership, MWM Studios has produced Academy Award-nominated feature films such as “Hell or High Water,” with Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, and “Rabbit Hole” starring Nicole Kidman. Additionally, the well-regarded film veteran has produced “The Way, Way Back” starring Steve Carell; “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling; Jon Stewart’s directorial debut, “Rosewater;” and, most recently, the indie comedy “Landline” starring Jenny Slate. Among Pritzker’s television production credits are the 10-time Emmy-nominated National Geographic scripted series, “Genius,” and CMT’s “Sun Records,” based on the Tony Award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” which she also developed and produced through MWM Live.Through MWM Immersive, and in partnership with Wevr, Pritzker is producing and co-publishing the Jon Favreau-directed VR production “Gnomes and Goblins,” offering users the unique opportunity to explore an enchanted world filled with mystical characters. MWM Immersive also recently announced, in partnership with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, “Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son” VR, based upon the Sony Pictures film of the same name. Previously, Pritzker executive produced the groundbreaking VR work “Collisions,” which won the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding New Approaches: Documentary.Pritzker herself has been widely recognized as an industry shape-shifter and tastemaker and has received many honors for her achievements. Recently The Hollywood Reporter included her on their list of '25 Players Who Can Actually Get an Independent Movie Made;’ and Variety named her as a ‘Game-Changing Female Producer.’ Previously, Gigi was included as part of Fast Company’s ‘25 Leading American Business Innovators’ and has been profiled by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times among others.She currently sits on the Board of Directors at STX Entertainment, the Goodman Theatre of Chicago, and currently, holds a position on the Sundance Institute Board of Trustees. Additionally, Pritzker is a member of the Television Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is a senior advisor to industry-leading content and tech start-ups and serves as the Founder and Vice Chair of Project&.Pritzker received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Stanford University. As an undergraduate student, she lived in Nepal for a year which led her to produce her first documentary feature “Bhutan, Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon” with the BBC which launched her long and successful career in the motion-picture business.She is a proud native Chicagoan and while traveling non-stop still calls that city home.DAVE BAUTISTA (Producer)See Cast BiosJONATHAN MEISNER (Producer) is a film producer and talent manager from Washington, D.C. Meisner has managed the career of actor Dave Bautista from the conception of his WWE career to a globally recognized and accomplished actor, starring in some of the most successful franchises of all time. Meisner met Bautista in 1988 while in college in DC and became his manager in 1999, the year before Bautista started wrestling professionally.Meisner produced his first feature, Bushwick, in 2017. The film starred Bautista and Brittany Snow as a war veteran and 20-year-old Brooklynite, respectively, who must depend on each other to survive when a U.S. based military force invades their Brooklyn neighborhood. The film made its international debut at the Cannes Film Festival and had its domestic premiere at the Sundance Film festival that same year.Meisner has produced Kickboxer: Vengeance, starring Bautista and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Final Score with Bautista and Pierce Brosnan, the international hit Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy, and Escape Plan: The Extractors, an action thriller and third in its franchise starring Bautista, Sylvester Stallone, 50 Cent, and Jaime King.In 2019, Meisner and Bautista formed Dream Bros Entertainment, which produced the upcoming My Spy, starring Bautista in the title role of a hardened CIA operative who finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.Meisner currently resides in Washington, D.C.LARRY BLANFORD (Director of Photography) has been working professionally since 1987.After graduating in 1977 from Richmond High School in Richmond, Indiana, Blanford joined the United States Air Force. Initially trained as an intelligence analyst, he was assigned to the National Security Agency and stationed at Iraklion Air Station Crete, Greece. Before that, Blanford had cross-trained into the Air Force’s Audiovisual Service. Subsequent to his seven years as an Air Force cameraman, and having accrued over 400 hours in all types of Air Force aircraft, including the F4, F5, F15 and F16, Blanford was offered a position as a camera operator on the movie Top Gun, flying in the backseat of the Navy’s F14s. With the success of Top Gun and after serving nine years on active duty, Blanford departed the Air Force in 1986 and started his career in professional filmmaking. He has shot film in over 40 countries. Blanford’s most recent credits include Tag (2018), and Hangman, the latter starring Al Pacino (2017). Blanford resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with his wife Tamar and three step-daughters, Hannah, Madi and Emma.CHRIS SPELLMAN’s (Production Designer) films as production designer include James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s This is the End, Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Jay and Mark Duplass’ Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Jody Hill’s?Observe and Report, David Gordon Green’s?Pineapple Express and Joe, and Greg Mottola’s?Superbad. Spellman was also production designer on the live-action portion of?The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, directed by Stephen Hillenburg and Mark Osborne.Born in New Orleans, Spellman moved to Los Angeles after college. In L.A., he met production designer Dennis Gassner and set decorator Nancy Haigh, who served as mentors. Spellman became set decorator on works from such filmmakers as Joel and Ethan Coen, on?The Big Lebowski?and?The Man Who Wasn’t There; Robert Altman, on?Dr. T and the Women; Paul Thomas Anderson, on Magnolia; Michael Mann, on?The Insider; Judd Apatow, on?Knocked Up,?as well as episodes of?“Freaks and Geeks,”?“Undeclared”; and Peggy Rajski, on the Academy Award-winning short film?Trevor.Spellman’s feature credits as set decorator also include Albert Brooks’?Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, Peter Segal’s?Anger Management, Jake Kasdan’s Orange County, Rob Cohen’s?xXx, George Armitage’s?Grosse Point Blank, Joe Johnston’s?October Sky, and Frank Oz’s?The Indian in the Cupboard.JASON GOURSON (Editor) has been in the entertainment business his entire life. He started as a child actor at 11 months old. Gourson’s mother is actress Joy Harmon and his father is fellow film editor Jeff Gourson. Both parents are now retired.Gourson’s first job, at age 18, was at Disney Studios, where he worked in the editing vaults delivering dailies to the screening rooms on a bike.In 1995, Gourson joined Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, where he began his journey to the editing room. Gourson’s first credit was as an assistant on Happy Gilmore (1996) and he earned his first editing credit on the hit movie Fifty First Dates (2004).Gourson pursued editing on the notable television shows “Glee,” (2013) “Survivor’s Remorse,” (2014-2016) and “The Magicians” (2015-2017).In 2017, he edited the critically acclaimed movie Blaze with director Ethan Hawke. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and won the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.During his off-time, Gourson loves being home on the California coast with his wife, Jodi, and his two boys, Max and Brody, where they enjoy the “new” family business of surfing. DOMINIC LEWIS (Composer) is a British-born composer with sensational talents that have catapulted him to the forefront of music in television and film. His most recent credits include Sony Pictures Animation film, Peter Rabbit, starring James Corden, Rose Byrne and Domnhall Gleeson; Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, starring Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris Parnell, and?Ken Jeong; Sony’s riveting hostage drama, Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts; Sony Pictures’ Rough Night starring Scarlett Johansson and Zo? Kravitz; Kingsman: The Secret Service, with co-composer Matthew Margeson; Warner Brothers Pictures comedy Fist Fight, starring Ice Cube, Charlie Day and Tracy Morgan; The Duff, starring Mae Whitman and Bella Thorne; and more. Lewis also scores the Ridley Scott produced Emmy-winning series, “The Man in the High Castle,” starring Alexa Davalos and Rupert Evans, which returns on Amazon with season 4 on November 15. His music can also be heard on Disney XD’s revitalized “Duck Tales,” starring Lin-Manuel Miranda and Allison Janney. His upcoming projects include The King’s Man (in theaters February 14, 2020), which he co-composes with Matthew Margeson, starring Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Stanley Tucci and Gemma Arteton; and Sony Pictures Animation’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, starring James Corden, Margot Robbie and Rose Byrne.Lewis received two BMI “Streaming Awards” for “The Man in the High Castle” and one BMI “Film Music Award” for Peter Rabbit. Lewis received an Annie Award nomination for “Outstanding Achievement in Music” for his work on Free Birds, starring Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler; as well as a nomination at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards for “Best Original Music Score” for Peter Rabbit. His innate instinct for harmonizing music and picture also earned him a nomination for the World Soundtrack Awards’ “Discovery of the Year” for his work on Spooks: The Greater Good, starring Kit Harington and Peter Firth.Prior to his successful career as a composer, Dominic studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he received classical training in cello and music composition. Throughout his time at the Royal Academy, he was mentored by Rupert Gregson-Williams and was given the opportunity to co-compose the score for his first feature film The Poet, directed by Damien Lee. With Williams, he also co-composed Open Season: Scared Silly. Lewis drew on his strong orchestral background to orchestrate and arrange two classical albums: “Camilly Kerslake” and “The Priests,” and wrote the album for the Lily May Show.Following his move from England to the United States, he joined John Powell, composing for the 2011 Oscar-nominated film, How to Train your Dragon. He has since worked with some of Hollywood’s most renowned composers including Henry Jackman and Hans Zimmer.Additional credits include Gulliver’s Travels; Clash of the Titans; Rango; Rio; Kung Fu Panda 2; Puss in Boots; Man on a Ledge; Wreck-It Ralph; Red Dawn; X-Men: 1st Class; Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows; G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Captain Philips; This is the End; Captain America: The Winter Soldier; The Amazing Spider-Man 2; Big Hero 6; The Interview; and multiple commercials.Dominic currently resides in Los Angeles. ................
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