Canadian director and stunt coordinator James Mark will begin production on his fourth feature in Toronto on Monday (March 8).

Titled Control, the sci-fi thriller will be among the first in Canada to use real-time virtual production tools via the newly launched Toronto studio Immersion Room, according to producer Bruno Marino. The virtual production technology was used in the making of Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

The film stars Sara Mitich (Star Trek: Discovery) and George Tchortov (Goon) and follows a woman who is forced to unlock kinetic powers to save her daughter. It is produced by Marino’s banner High Star Entertainment and co-written by Mark and Matthew Nayman.

Distribution in Canada will be handled by levelFILM. Control is financed through private equity, tax credits and pre-sales.

Immersion Room was founded in 2020 to “democratize cutting edge filmmaking technology,” providing virtual production services for small- to medium-sized budget projects.

Control marks the second production for Mark and High Star Entertainment, following production on his third feature Enhanced in 2019, starring Adrian Holmes. Enhanced is set to be released by Vertical Entertainment on March 26.

“James is a visionary who knows film,” said Marino in a statement. “Coming from the stunt world on big budget Hollywood films made for a natural fit in the space and it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood comes knocking.”