US producers Steven G Kaplanand Gregg L Daniel have joined forces with entrepreneur Richard Katz to formRainstorm Entertainment, an LA-based independent film production company thataims to make cost-effective movies by original writers and directors. Rainstormis already in post-production on the black comedy, The Big Empty, which it produced with Echo Lake Productions andco-financer Aura Entertainment, which will handle international sales duringMIFED. The Big Empty marks thedirectorial debut of write Steve Anderson and boasts an ensemble cast includingJon Favreau, Rachael Leigh Cook, Kelsey Grammer, Daryl Hannah, Sean Bean, AdamBeach and Joey Lauren Adams.

Rainstorm will also beexecutive producing writer-director Clint Hutchison's action-romance road movieGinger and Jack, which iscurrently uncast. Hutchison previously wrote and co-directed Kaplan andDaniel's first production together, the award-winning horror comedy TerrorTract.

The company has also signeda three-project deal with Steve Anderson and a two-project deal with Hutchisonand Lance Dreesen, the co-director on Terror Tract.

Other Rainstorm projects indevelopment include: All American Dad, newcomer director Craig Moss' comedy about a man's attempts to bondwith his hipster son en route to a football tryout; and Lost In TheTranslation, a black comedy by JeffLenick about a suicidal young woman's rediscovery of life.

In a statement today Kaplansaid: 'After our artistic and financial success with Terror Tract, we really saw the potential in this partnership aswe brought so many essential elements together. It made sense to form a companycapitalising on my legal and business acumen and creative instincts, Richard'sfinancial savvy and Gregg's extensive production experience and creative vision.'

Kaplan also serves asmanaging shareholder of the business law firm, Levinson & Kaplan. Daniel isa graduate of the American Film Institute and has held posts in development,feature production and visual effects at Disney as well as producing promotionalprojects for the NBC and CBS television networks. Katz was an original investorin The Big Empty and TerrorTract and has a financial backgroundin corporate mergers and acquisitions.