Emmy-winner Andy Rodriguez-McCradic is set to bring another comic book character to life as an action-adventure film this summer. The movie, a 1940s-styled action-adventure set in the present day, is entitled Paula Peril: Midnight Is the Darkest Hour and is expected to premiere at the San Diego Comic Con this July.
”This is a first for us,” says Rodriguez-McCradic,” I have created at least five superhero characters for live-action comic books that are selling well worldwide, but Paula Peril is our first foray into something that is not based in Arizona, nor based on a superheroine. We’re looking forward to working with Atlantis Studios and the San Diego Film Commission to put this one together.”
Rodriguez-McCradic’s production group, New Phoenix Filmworks, will lens this production, his fifteenth movie, on location in San Diego. Some interiors may be shot at the 7,000 square foot New Phoenix Filmworks studio in North Phoenix. The first unit team will be made up of San Diego and Los Angeles based filmmakers. Administration will be based out of the New Phoenix Filmworks offices.
Paula Peril: Midnight Is the Darkest Hour retells the origin story of Paula Perillo, an intrepid reporter for Big City’s Daily Gazette with a nose for stirring up trouble, and attracting plenty of it. She’s on the trail of crime lord Anthony Carleoni, a tough guy who made it out of the old neighborhood the old fashioned way: through crime and intimidation. He has a knack for breaking skulls and organizing people around him with equal ability. Paula finds that Carleoni is taking control of the Pier District, and goes after the story, but soon learns that taking on organized crime can be extremely dangerous. Paula is rivaled by society reporter Veronica Vilencourt, assisted by hunky photographer Jimmy Smith, directed by Big City Daily Gazette editor Slim Jackson, and aided by a strange, shadow-like informant whose identity is unknown.
This film will be the second time Paula Peril has made the jump from comics to film. Recently a seven-minute short was self-produced by Atlantis Studios, but creator James Watson decided to license the character to develop the next chapter in Paula’s adventures. “The comic book series has enthusiastic fans who are eager to see more of Paula Peril on film, but we lack the resources to do it right”, said Watson, “Andy has proven experience in bringing attractive, strong heroines to life on film, in well-structured, extremely interesting storylines worthy of any Hollywood production.”
Paula Peril: Midnight Is the Darkest Hour will be teleplay length, between 30-45 minutes, and will be distributed through both New Phoenix Filmworks partners and Atlantis Studios and its partners. It will be available in direct-to-home video and comic book stores nationwide and internationally.
