Germany’s Spirit Media has acquired worldwide rights to Australian writer-director Bren Foster’s martial arts action drama Relentless, now in post. Spirit will present it to buyers at the European Film Market in February.
The deal excludes Australia and New Zealand rights, which are held by Radioactive Pictures.
Foster also stars in Relentless, playing a former soldier forced back into the brutal world of fighting in an underground arena. Driven by his desperate need to protect his family, he faces the battle of his life.
Foster has won multiple awards in martial arts, runs a martial arts school and is a trained actor. He appeared in Days Of Our Lives and, more recently, five seasons of The Last Ship during five years working in the US.
The cast also includes US actress Amanda Righetti, whose credits include The Mentalist, in her first Australian film. Foster’s 13-year-old daughter Arielle, a budding martial arts champion, has a supporting role.
This is the kind of film we’ve been waiting for, a project that excites us creatively and allows us to expand our business globally,” said Nico Dautzenberg, managing director of Spirit Media.
Spirit handled Foster’s 2024 debut Life After Fighting in some territories.
Action meets drama
Relentless is produced by Foster and Navid Bahadori’s Sydney outfit Spinning Plates Productions. Foster said the aim is to marry high-level drama with high-level action to reach mainstream audiences.
“I don’t want to make a movie with no substance,” he told Screen. “ I want to make films with heart and soul, and with actors that are fully invested. Our actors gave it their all and it cost them.”
“If they’re good they explode. Just like horror,” he suggested of the box-office prospects for martial arts films.
Relentless received a production grant from ScreenNSW and is also expected to access a post, digital and visual effects rebate from the state agency. On completion, the intention is to claim the 40% producer offset, a federal rebate.
Further financing comes from Eclectik Vision and Alceon Entertainment Partners.
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