of the Replikator

Cyberspace, virtual reality, lethal sunlight and flesh replication – welcome to the dark and not-so-distant future, according to the makers of Replikator.

The mid-budget sci-fi action flick just wrapped shooting in the dark, damp and creepily fabulous interiors of the 19th century Gooderham & Worts buildings, an unused distillery complex in downtown Toronto. Set in the first half of the 21st century, when people must live and work indoors to avoid deadly daylight, pleasure comes from escaping into virtual reality. Our heroes, actors Michael St. Gerard (Elvis: The Early Years), Brigitte Bako (I Love a Man in Uniform) and Oscar-nominated Ned Beatty (Deliverance), battle to save all that is alive and real from dangerous replication technology and an evil corporation. The script, written by director Phillip Jackson and Michelle Bellerose in collaboration with Tony Johnston and John Dawson, is based on The Tomorrow Man by Stephen Zoller.

Aside from some hiccups brought on by March snowstorms (which hit just in time for the production’s first outdoor day), Replikator wrapped with no problems. Producer Daniel D’Or and line producer Mark Winemaker rave about the location, which, with the help of production designer Taavo Soodor, provided just the right combination of style and decay.

Replikator is the first feature film project for Producers Network Associates, a new player on the Toronto production scene. Actually, the company is new, but the faces are familiar. pna came together last year with the merging of four very different talents.

Director Jackson is the creative slice of the pie. Jackson’s directorial credits include features, television documentaries, and the recent series pilots for cbc, Timestorm Theater and Lives Lived and Stories Told (two of pna’s first projects). David McGuire, Replikator’s producer, brings in international experience in motion picture and television finance. McGuire has worked with producers like Orion and Warner Bros. and acted as an executive consultant and auditor on several features. D’Or, the owner and operator of Greystone Production Services, adds technical know-how. D’Or specializes in post-production and aerial photography (Replikator will include some heavy-duty helicopter battle scenes). Lawyer Howard E. Warren, Replikator’s executive producer and pna’s head of business affairs, wraps up the team with his legal background.

According to McGuire, the team came together specifically because the members’ talents covered all the bases. ‘We didn’t necessarily choose each other because we liked each other,’ he quips, quickly adding that they do, in fact, really enjoy working together (a fact that quickly becomes obvious).

What he stresses is that pna came about because it made good business sense. Adds Jackson: ‘We wanted to create a supportive infrastructure where everyone can excel in their area.’

The company has big plans for the next few years. With a bottom-line approach, the partners have been making their presence known at the international markets, concentrating on building up relationships, presales and getting a solid grip on what’s hot.

Presold worldwide, Replikator is one of the few Canadian feature films in production that has received no agency funding. In fact, so far, no pna projects have used public money for production funding.

‘We want to develop and grow fast,’ says D’Or. ‘We’re still in our infancy now,’ adds McGuire, ‘but we’re ahead of schedule.’

Also in their plans: building relationships with local independent filmmakers. McGuire speaks of creating a structure whereby indies with ideas and some experience can come to pna and utilize the group’s wide base of knowledge. For all the partners, nurturing local talent and keeping production in Toronto will be an important part of the company’s future.

In the meantime, Replikator will be ready for viewing by August. It will be released by Alliance Releasing in Canada, Prism Productions in the u.s., and G.E.L. Productions internationally.