EXCLUSIVE: Niamh Algar (The Virtues), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Dianna Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country) are attached to star in WWII thriller Burial, which Altitude will launch world sales on at next week’s Cannes virtual market.
Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (to be played by rising actress Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo’ doesn’t fall into the hands of their attackers and be buried forever to hide the truth.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) will produce for Stigma Films alongside Paul Higgins (Submarine) for Fields Park Media Partners and Hugh Spearing (The Chamber).
Co-producer will be Ivo Felt of All Film, Estonia, where the majority of production will take place. Felt’s previous credits include Oscar nominee Tangerines and Golden Globe nominee The Fencer. Wilkinson and Felt are also producing Tanel Toom’s Gateway 6.
Principal photography is due to get underway in Estonia in late 2020.
Wilkinson commented: “We’re very excited to be working with Altitude on Ben’s second feature, with an ensemble of such brilliant, talented actors. This unique and powerful story set at the end of the Second World War, should be a thrilling ride, as well as a thought-provoking mirror to current issues – how burying the truth allows evil grow back into the world.”
Altitude’s Cannes pre-sales slate will also include deep sea thriller Shark Bait from Sean Lahiff, whose credits as editor include hit Sundance thriller Relic and Netflix acquisition Cargo.