Deadline Hollywood reports that Kiss frontman Gene Simmons and Gary Hamilton, Chairman of sales and production company Arclight Films, have launched a new production company called Simmons/Hamilton Productions.
The site adds that the production banner will produce 25 movies over an initial five-year period, with a focus on action, thriller, and genre titles. In a statement announcing the news, the company said it is backed by a “multi-billion dollar fund manager” who is providing slate financing through a “revolving finance facility.” Arclight Films’ CFO Brian Beckmann was responsible for closing the slate funding deal. All films created under the banner will be produced by Simmons and Hamilton.
The first project set for filming is Deep Water, a survival thriller directed by Renny Harlin – who previously directed Deep Blue Sea. Scheduled to go into production later this year, the pic tells the adventurous tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from LA to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
