JACK KESY, JULIO CEDILLO AND KATE DEL CASTILLO STAR IN SHARK SURVIVAL ACTION FILM “THE BLACK DEMON: ATLANTIS,” THE 2ND INSTALLMENT OF THE SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE
Highland Film Group Launching Worldwide Sales at the European Film Market
Jack Kesy (20th Century Fox’s Deadpool 2, Hellboy: The Crooked Man), Julio Cesar Cedillo (Netflix’s The Harder They Fall, Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, The Black Demon) and Kate Del Castillo (Telemundo’s “La Reina del Sur,” Fox’s “The Cleaning Lady,” the upcoming feature film Trap House opposite Dave Bautista) are set to star in the shark survival actioner The Black Demon: Atlantis, it was announced today. The sequel to The Black Demon is directed by Ben Hernandez Bray (David E. Kelley’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” CBS’ “S.W.A.T.”), who is also one of the industry’s top action stunt coordinators working on such films as David O. Russell’s The Fighter, The Grey starring Liam Neeson and the Transformers franchise. The script is written by Aaron Benjamin and Boise Esquerra (Austin Film Festival award-winner “Blackwater,” The Black Demon).
The sequel comes after the success of The Black Demon starring Josh Lucas, which, following its theatrical release in 2023, claimed the #1 spot on Amazon’s streaming rankings for seven consecutive days.
Teaming up again to produce are Javier Chapa and Phillip Braun for Mucho Mas Media (The Long Game, Rosario starring Emeraude Toubia and David Dastmalchian), Jon Silk (Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Rosario) for Silk Mas, and Highland Film Group. The Black Demon: Atlantis is executive produced by Sherrese Clarke Soares for Harbourview Equity Partners and Robert Muñoz, Simon Wise, Bruce Barshop and Vincent Cordero for Mucho Mas Media.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide rights to The Black Demon: Atlantis, launching sales at the European Film Market. Financed by Highland Film Group and Mucho Mas Media, production is set to begin in May.
After the big splash of The Black Demon, the beast returns – faster, fiercer, and hungrier than ever. Undercover DEA agent Jerry Simms (Jack Kesy) teams up with his cellmate, Chato (Julio Cesar Cedillo), in a maximum-security prison stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to dismantle a massive drug operation run by the notorious crime boss Diego Nunez. But their mission quickly becomes one of survival when the legendary creature, The Black Demon, tears through the prison, which sits atop a decaying desalination plant polluting the ocean. In a desperate move to protect his empire, Diego unleashes his own giant sea predators to take down the beast. What follows is an epic clash of monsters, where only the strongest will prevail.
“It’s great to be teaming up again with producers Javier Chapa, Phillip Braun and Jon Silk following the success of our first creature collaboration. We have a fantastic ensemble cast led by Jack Kesy and we look forward to introducing this sensational new installment to audiences around the world,” said Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier. “Helmed by the action and stunt maven Ben Hernandez Bray, The Black Demon: Atlantis will feature stunning action sequences – the scale of the project is quite immense and even bigger than the first film!” added Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser.
“We’re excited to reunite with familiar faces while introducing a fresh new cast in The Black Demon: Atlantis. Expanding the mythology and adding new creatures from the pantheon of Aztec monsters makes this chapter even more thrilling—we can’t wait for audiences to dive into this new adventure,” commented producers Javier Chapa, Phillip Braun and Jon Silk.
Jack Kesy recently wrapped production on The Pickup for Amazon alongside Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, and Keke Palmer. Currently he can be seen starring in the titular role of Hellboy in Hellboy: The Crooked Man, the third film in the Hellboy franchise for Millennium. Kesy can also be seen starring in the Lionsgate feature Dark Web: Cicadia 3301 opposite Alan Ritchson, and starring in the Paramount feature Sheroes. He also appeared in the Netflix feature The Killer, directed by David Fincher; the Millennium feature The Outpost, opposite Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood, and Caleb Landry Jones; and in Tom Clancy’s Amazon feature Without Remorse alongside Michael B. Jordan. Kesy also starred in the AMC feature Mosquito State, which premiered to rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival, and in Sony’s Peel opposite Emilie Hirsch. Other film credits include Deadpool 2, Baywatch, Horse Soldiers, Death Wish, and Juggernaut. Kesy’s television credits include “Claws,” produced by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, and “The Strain” for Guillermo del Toro.
Julio Cesar Cedillo recent films include The Black Demon, Amazon Studios’ A Million Miles Away with Michael Peña, and Netflix’s Chupa alongside Christian Slater. Additional credits include Lionsgate’s 3-time Academy Award-nominated film Sicario starring Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin, Universal Pictures’ Cowboys and Aliens with Daniel Craig and Abigail Spencer, and Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico” alongside Scoot McNairy and Diego Luna.
Kate Del Castillo is best known for her starring role in Telemundo’s long-running series “La Reina del Sur.” She currently stars in the Fox hit series “The Cleaning Lady” and can next be seen opposite Dave Bautista in the upcoming Ridley Scott produced feature Trap House.
Highland Film Group’s current slate also includes Martin Campbell’s action-thriller Dedication starring Daisy Ridley; Adrian Grunberg’s action-thriller Protector starring Milla Jovovich; Justin Chadwick’s action thriller Sierra Madre starring Kiefer Sutherland; the action crime thriller Wardriver starring Dane DeHaan and Sasha Calle; Allan Ungar’s action-comedy London Calling starring Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor; and the sci-fi thriller The Astronaut from producer Brad Fuller and starring Kate Mara and Lawrence Fishburne, which will have its world premiere at SXSW.
Kesy is repped by Paradigm and Range Media Partners; Cedillo is repped by Spellbound Entertainment and Buchwald; Castillo is repped by Sweeney Entertainment, Buchwald, and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan; Esquerra is repped by Sandra Avila at Inclusion Management.
ABOUT HIGHLAND FILM GROUP
Led by founding partners Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (HFG) is an award-winning independent worldwide sales, film financing, production and distribution company. Launched in 2010, HFG has had success across a wide range of film genres and platforms, building a reputation for handling high-octane films in the action/thriller/horror space, focusing on cast, director, and filmmaker driven content.
HFG’s diversified production and sales slate includes William Eubank’s action thriller Land of Bad starring Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth released on 1,300 screens in February 2024 and recently surged to the #1 spot on Netflix in the US; Benjamin Brewer’s survival action-thriller Arcadian starring Nicolas Cage, official selection at SXSW; Adam Cooper’s crime thriller Sleeping Dogs starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan which recently took the #1 spot on Hulu in the US; Simon West’s action comedy Old Guy starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman; Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller Not Without Hope starring Zachary Levi and Josh Duhamel; the sci-fi thriller The Astronaut produced by Brad Fuller and starring Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne; Allan Ungar’s action comedy London Calling starring Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor; and the high-concept horror film Rosario starring Emeraude Toubia and David Dastmalchian.
New projects include Martin Campbell’s action-thriller Dedication starring Daisy Ridley; Adrian Grunberg’s action-thriller Protector starring Milla Jovovich; the action crime thriller Wardriver starring Dane DeHaan and Sasha Calle; John Stalberg, Jr.’s Muzzle: City of Wolves starring Aaron Eckhart; the action crime thriller The Deputy starring Duke Nicholson, William H. Macy, Tiffany Haddish and Stephen Dorff; and Justin Chadwick’s action thriller Sierra Madre starring Kiefer Sutherland.
Previous titles include Adrian Grünberg’s shark actioner The Black Demon starring Josh Lucas; Joe Carnahan’s Boss Level starring Naomi Watts, Mel Gibson and Frank Grillo; Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa; Scott Mann’s Final Score starring Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan; Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Diego Luna and Jenna Dewan Tatum and Vaughn Stein’s Terminal starring Margot Robbie and Simon Pegg.
About HarbourView Equity Partners
HarbourView Equity Partners is an investment firm, founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, focused on opportunities to support premium content across the entertainment, sports, and media markets. The firm seeks businesses or assets powered by IP and investment opportunities that aim to build enduring value and returns. HarbourView has been extremely active since launching in 2021, amassing roughly $1.45 billion* in regulatory assets under management including over 60+ music catalogs to date and investments in two media production companies, MACRO and Mucho Mas Media, both with a mission to center premium storytelling. The firm’s distinctly diverse music portfolio features thousands of titles spanning numerous genres, eras, and artists, amounting to a diversified catalog of ~29,000+ songs across both master recordings and publishing income streams. The company is headquartered in Newark, NJ.
