Talk about a blast from the past!
This was one of a handful of projects Wesley Snipes produced before he began his prison sentence in 2010. I remember writing about it on my old personal blog, The Obenson Report, as far back as 2008/2009.
It was never released, although it did play the film festival circuit a bit.
But it's a title I'd long forgotten about, until the press release I received this afternoon, announcing essentially that the film isn't dead and buried, but will be revived at the Berlinale in February.
The details…
VMI Worldwide announced today that it is representing worldwide rights to the horror/western movie Gallowwalkers, which stars Wesley Snipes. VMI is taking the film to the European Film Market happening concurrently with the Berlin International Film Festibal, where they will screen it for international buyers – the obvious goal being to sell the film to distributors all over the world, and get the film in front of paying audiences.
The movie will have its market premiere February 8, 2013 at 5pm, at the Berlin Parliament screening room.
"We are very proud to be the company re-introducing Wesley Snipes to our buyers, knowing the strong demand for him to entertain us again" said VMI president André Relis.
Directed and written by Andrew Goth and Joanne Ray, executive produced and produced by Jack Bowyer, and produced by Courtney Lauren Penn, and Brandon Burrows of Boundless Pictures, here's the Gallowwalkers story:
GALLOWALKERS is the story of a mysterious gunman, Aman (Snipes), the son of a nun, who breaks her covenant with God to ensure his survival. Her break with God curses her son to be hunted by all those who die by his hand – When he takes revenge on a gang that murdered his love, the gang rises as a cursed crew of undead warriors and hunt him mercilessly, seeking their 'dying' revenge.
Sounds somewhat like it could belong in the Blade universe doesn't it?
I'd say that what seems to be new interest in *black westerns* like Django Unchained, and the upcoming They Die By Dawn, may have influenced the decision to revive this film, which was made before the others.
The film was originally a vehicle for Chinese star, Chow Yun-Fat of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Pirates of the Caribbean fame, amongst many other notable titles.
Wesley Snipes is scheduled to be released from prison on July 19, 2013; so not too far away and he'll be a free man again! His pending release may have also be of some influence in reviving the film.
Let's hope it sells and some of us eventually get to see it, wherever we are, so that we can talk about it.
From Day Walker To Gallowwalker… here's an old trailer for the film (I'd say this is at least 2 or 3 years old). I expect a new one will be recut as the film is sold to territories.
