EXCLUSIVE: Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment has set up feature Pentacle at Lionsgate, based on an original pitch by Black List writer Ian Fried (Gaslight, The Ever After Murders). The story is described as a dark, Amblin-style thriller set in the world of magic. This marks Fried’s latest studio project after selling sci-fi pitch Prism to Paramount, which John Davis and Davis Entertainment are producing. He also sold supernatural action pitch Spectral to Legendary, which has James Badge Dale starring for director Nic Mathieu and is already slated for an August 2016 release.
John Sacchi and Jessica Switch are overseeing Pentacle for Lionsgate. Lee will produce for Vertigo alongside president of production Adam Stone. Vertigo’s John Powers Middleton is executive producing and VP Irene Yeung is overseeing for the company, which has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. and this year scored a $ 468 million global hit with The LEGO Movie.
Vertigo’s upcoming projects include the April 2015 Liam Neeson actioner Run All Night, MGM and Fox 2000’s upcoming summer remake Poltergeist, and Bates Motel which is returning for its third season on A&E.
Fried is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and attorney Eric Suddleson.
Jen Yamato
