New production company, Flagship Films, and producers Alison Semenza (Zig Zag, Green Dragon) and Todd Moyer (Wing Commander, Virus) are bringing together two of the 80's hottest fading action stars for the first time in the same film. The film, called Weapon, will star Steven Seagal (Under Siege) and Jean Claude Van Damme (Hard Target).
If this was fifteen years ago, I would probably be more excited than I am, but I would be lying if I did not admit to being a little giddy at the prospect. It will be fun to see these two non-actors go toe to toe. I can picture Seagal's constantly constipated expression used in reaction to a Van Damme split.The plot reminds me of Assassins, which featured Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone as a pair of rival, you guessed it, assassins. In Weapon Seagal and Van Damme will be assassins who form an alliance to take down a DEA backed drug cartel. The former will be a sharpshooter, while the latter will be a knife man.
Sounds like the perfect set up for some fisticuffs! Well, perhaps not. It looks like they are settingup a shield to cover up Seagal's inability to move like he once could, not to mention hiding the girth he has grown over the years. If the two were to fight today, I think you would have to give the edge to Van Damme. I just hope that if the two do fight, that it looks better than the Jet Li/Jason Statham chopped mess in War.The film is set to go before cameras in July with a screenplay by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (Numb3rs, Friday Night Lights). I wonder if the plan is for a theatrical release? I cannot believe that it is, as there is probably not a large enough audience that still cares about these two all that much. On DVD/Blu-ray, however, it could do well with a wider casual audience.
Press Release:
FLAGSHIP FILMS LAUNCHES WITH WEAPON;
STEVEN SEAGAL AND JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME TO STAR
IN FIRST JOINT APPEARANCE EVER
New Production Company Teams Veteran Actioners with Veteran Producers
Alison Semenza and Todd Moyer; WEAPON Goes Before Cameras in July.
Essential Entertainment to Handle Foreign Sales
LOS ANGELES, CA – April 15, 2009 – The armada of independent production in all genres has a new flagship—Flagship Films, a new production company from veteran producers Alison Semenza and Todd Moyer.
In announcing the new company, Moyer and Semenza have also announced their first production: WEAPON.š This film will unite two of the world’s biggest names in action and thrillers, Steve Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who have never appeared in a film together—until now. Moshe Diamont will also produce the film which is written by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (Numb3rs; Friday Night Lights).
In WEAPON, JACK CONWAY (Steven Seagal) and DEREK CHASE (Jean Claude Van Damme) are the two best assassins in the world—but unknown to each other. While Conway is a master sharpshooter, Chase is equally skilled with a knife. These two rival assassins form an uneasy alliance to take down the head of a drug cartel, which is backed by the DEA. The producers announced today that principal photography on WEAPON will commence in July 2009 on locations in and around New Mexico and Vancouver.šš They expect to confirm a director in the next several weeks.
Steve Seagal defined the opaque, resolute action hero of the ‘90’s.š Best known for UNDER SEIGE, where he uttered the enduring line, “I’m just a cook,” other memorable (and high grossing) roles include EXECUTUVE DECISION, HARD TO KILL, and MARKED FOR DEATH. For his part, Jean-Claude Van Damme, “the Muscles from Brussels,” has more than three dozen films to his credit, with worldwide grosses in excess of $1 billion.š He was nominated for three MTV Movie Awards—for DOUBLE IMPACT, NOWHERE TO RUN and HARD TARGET.
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A former agent whose first client was Peter Jackson, Moyer helped to define the comic book to film genre in a seven year stint with Dark Horse Comics, setting up numerous comic properties at all the major studios including THE MASK, TIMECOP, VIRUS, BARB WIRE, MYSTERYMEN, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, and more. He served as co-producer on VIRUS and TIMECOP as well as producer on BARB WIRE. At Steven Seagal’s Steamroller Productions, he oversaw production of two Seagal films at Warner Bros., FIRE DOWN BELOW and GLIMMERMAN.š Under his own shingle, No Prisoners Productions, he produced WING COMMANDER (Matthew Lillard and Freddie Prinze Jr.) and GEORGE AND THE DRAGON (Michael Clarke Duncan), as well as music videos and commercials.š Moyer returns to production after several years raising a family in upstate New York.
Alison Semenza has produced over 50 feature-length films, starting at Royal Oaks Entertainment and moving on to Phoenician films; among her credits there were THE CONFESSION with Alec Bladwin andš IF.DOG.RABBIT with Mathew Modine. She joined Franchise Pictures in 1999 as Vice President of Production, overseeing the Franchise Classic Division, which produced Sundance favorite THE GREEN DRAGON (Forest Whitaker and Patrick Swayze) and ZIG ZAG, with John Leguizamo and Wesley Snipes.š As an independent producer since 2003, she has made three films with Wesley Snipes and PURSUED with Christian Slater. Her latest film, POWDER BLUE, which reunites her with Swayze and Whitaker and also stars Jessica Biel, Ray Liotta and Lisa Kudrow, has just been completed.
Coincidentally, both worked on films with the two WEAPON stars; Moyer served as producer on one of Van Damme’s last US theatrical releases, Universal’s TIMECOP, while Semenza produced one of Seagal’s most recent theatrical release, HALF PAST DEAD.
“Alison and I are delighted to be in business together, and to come out swinging,” says Moyer of his partner Semenza.š She replies, “Todd and I play to each other’s strengths in action, thriller, fantasy and science fiction.š Together we’re hoping to become a potent combination in 21st’century production.”š Flagship’s goal is to produce 5 films per year, with 3 expected to be filmed in 2009.
Jere Hausfater’s distribution/foreign sales agent Essential Entertainment, who distributes dozens of films each year including DEFIANCE and MY ONE AND ONLY, has signed on for worldwide sales of WEAPON, which they expect to be brisk.š
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