LOS ANGELES (January 16, 2018) – Los Angeles-based film acquisition and distribution company Saban Films has acquired North American rights to Pasha Patriki’s Black Water, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (Universal Soldier, Kickboxer), and Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables 2). The action thriller which marks the fifth collaboration between Van Damme and Lundgren, was produced by Jason Cherubini, Alexander Ferguson, Tyler W. Konney and Richard Switzer for Dawn’s Light Productions. Saban Films is planning a theatrical release in Q2 of 2018.
Written by Chad Law, with a story by Law, Konney and Switzer, Black Water follows a deep cover operative who awakens to find himself imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine. With the help of a fellow prisoner and an amateur agent, Wheeler (Van Damme) must race against the clock to escape the vessel and expose who set him up.
“Jean-Claude and Dolph are a powerhouse duo, it’s refreshing to see them fighting on the same side for a change,” said Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley. “The pair are iconic action heroes; our audiences will absolutely love Black Water.”
Patriki executive produced the film along with David Allen, Patrick DePeters, Eric Fischer, Matthew Helderman, Chad Law, Joe Listhaus, Luke Taylor, and Viviana Zarragoitia.  Ness Saban and Bill Bromiley negotiated the deal on behalf of Saban Films, with XX. Taylor & Dodge handled international sales.
Most recently, Saban Films acquired Alexandre Moors’ war drama The Yellow Birds, starring Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette, Jason Patric, with Jack Huston and Jennifer Aniston.  The company also recently partnered with Toronto-based Mongrel Media to release their 2018 North American titles in Canada, creating a distribution pipeline in North America with a slate of films which will include The Yellow Birds, as well as Roland Joffe’s The Forgiven starring Forest Whitaker and Eric Bana; Alexandros Avranas’ True Crimes starring Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg; and Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms’ Small Town Crime starring John Hawkes and Octavia Spencer.
Saban Films continues to grow its presence in the industry, with successes that have run the gamut from critically acclaimed theatrical films such as The Homesman starring Hilary Swank, to one of the biggest Fathom events in 2016 with Rob Zombie’s horror thriller 31.  Recent titles include Taran Killam’s Killing Gunther starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lake Bell, War on Everyone starring Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, and Theo James; The Girl with All the Gifts starring Gemma Arterton and Glenn Close; and Ethan Hawke action thriller 24 Hours to Live.
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About Saban Films
Saban Films, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group (“SCG”), is a film acquisition and distribution company which acquires high-quality, feature films to distribute in North America. Focusing on commercial, talent driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production for release across multiple platforms, including a day and date theatrical/VOD release strategy. Based in Los Angeles, Saban Films was established by Haim Saban, SCG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and is led by Bill Bromiley who serves as president, Shanan Becker, Chief Financial Officer and Ness Saban, Vice President of Business Development.
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