Arclight Films chief Gary Hamilton and producers Al Ruddy and Dan Grodnik have formed the production company Crazy Max Films and lined up its first two projects.

The company plans to make five action films a year with Arclight handling all international sales on the slate starting with the thrillers Second Wind and Carjacked.

Wayne Kramer wrote and will direct the $20m Second Wind in late summer. The story involves a contrite, terminally ill assassin who turns on his boss.

Carjacked is set to go in autumn and centres on a single mother and her child who are abducted by a bank robber. Dan Reed will direct from Marylin and Michael Crawford's screenplay.

All three Crazy Max partners will produce both projects and will announce casting soon. Michael Greenfield serves as executive producer on Carjacked.

'We'd going to make what I like to call expensive low-budget movies,' Ruddy said. 'They'll be high-concept, testosterone-driven action movies with important elements.'