Gene Simmons creates new film production company
Kiss frontman Gene Simmons has launched a new production company in partnership with Arclight Film chairman Gary Hamilton. Simmons/Hamilton Productions will finance, develop and produce feature films with 25 titles now in line for production over the first five-year period. The company is currently looking at mostly action and thriller movies.
Discussing the new venture, Simmons said in a joint statement, “Throughout my storied history in the music business, I’ve met all sorts of characters, but Gary Hamilton is the real deal! He’s a remarkable film executive and a great collaborator who, along with the fantastic team at Arclight Films, brings his expertise and outstanding knowledge of the film industry to this partnership.”
He added, “I am pumped and excited to be launching Deep Water as our first project together with the action maven Renny Harlin at the helm.” Meanwhile, Hamilton also expressed his delight to get the project up off the ground, writing, “This exciting new partnership is a beautiful marriage of outstanding production and sales might coupled with a colorful history of showmanship and shrewd business acumen.”
Hamilton continued, “Gene is not only a talented musician and performer, but he’s also a very savvy businessman and one of the most formidable cinephiles I’ve ever met — he’s the perfect partner as we introduce Deep Water to our buyers in Cannes.” As the pair note, Renny Harlin, director of Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, will take charge of Deep Water, a survival thriller about a group of plane passengers who make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
“I’ve had my greatest success when working with planes or sharks,” Harlin said in the statement. “Getting to combine those two of my favorite thriller elements in a character-driven action adventure is a dream come true. I can’t wait to take the audience on the scariest plane ride of their lives. Gene and Gary both are my old friends and I’m excited to rock ’n’ roll through the friendly skies with them.”
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