Veteran US independent producer Cassian Elwes and Chinese tech entrepreneur and NextG founder Edward Zeng are launching a $100m fund to invest in five to eight features over the next three years.
The pair are in Cannes to meet with potential partners on their Next Generation Media Fund and are talking to buyers on the first project on the slate, the crime biopic Gambino.
Elwes, whose credits include The Butler, Precious and Mudbound, is lead producer on the story of the Mafia boss who led the Gambino crime family in New York until his death in 1976.
Nick Vallelonga, the Oscar-winning co-writer and producer of Green Book, wrote the screenplay with Midnight Run writer George Gallo, who will direct.
Jeff Kranzdorf will serve as a managing director of the fund and will produce Gambino alongside Elwes, Zeng, and Vallelonga. The project previously set up with Julius Nasso producing.
Elwes and Zeng said they want to champion IP-driven theatrical projects for top-tier global writers, directors, and actors. They plan to utilise Zeng’s connections and incorporate cutting-edge technologies,
NextG fund’s initial foray in filmmaking was on Tribeca documentary Following Harry. The project is not part of the fund slate.
No comments yet