About
Malevolent is a twisted, blood-soaked horror/scifi thriller in the vein of Saw meets Groundhog Day.
Malevolent features Miriam, a young woman who works for a non-profit which promotes global peace initiatives. This is in reaction to her estranged father -- sociopath US war profiteer and billionaire Cyrus DeKalb (Ray Wise). When he learns he is dying, Cyrus calls Miriam and her three siblings together, ostensibly to discuss his will. However, what he actually has planned is to pronounce judgment on them all. They are, in his view, traitors, and he has elaborate death traps planned for each of them.
The wrinkle is: a race of intergalactic gamblers, who wager on human conflicts as bloody sport, have chosen Miriam as their protagonist for this match. Thus the entire situation is being manipulated by the Gamemaster (Morena Baccarin,) who has the power to reverse time and reconfigure events as they play out, much like a dungeon master in Dungeons & Dragons. And so the playing field is constantly changing under Miriam's feet -- sometimes to her benefit, but usually, not.
About
Malevolent is a twisted, blood-soaked horror/scifi thriller in the vein of Saw meets Groundhog Day.
Malevolent features Miriam, a young woman who works for a non-profit which promotes global peace initiatives. This is in reaction to her estranged father -- sociopath US war profiteer and billionaire Cyrus DeKalb (Ray Wise). When he learns he is dying, Cyrus calls Miriam and her three siblings together, ostensibly to discuss his will. However, what he actually has planned is to pronounce judgment on them all. They are, in his view, traitors, and he has elaborate death traps planned for each of them.
The wrinkle is: a race of intergalactic gamblers, who wager on human conflicts as bloody sport, have chosen Miriam as their protagonist for this match. Thus the entire situation is being manipulated by the Gamemaster (Morena Baccarin,) who has the power to reverse time and reconfigure events as they play out, much like a dungeon master in Dungeons & Dragons. And so the playing field is constantly changing under Miriam's feet -- sometimes to her benefit, but usually, not.
Videos
Morena Baccarin (Gamemaster)
Adored by her fans for her starring roles in Firefly, V, and Stargate SG1. She was Emmy-nominated for Homeland and can soon be seen as the female lead in Marvel’s superhero feature Deadpool.
Morena Baccarin (Gamemaster)
Adored by her fans for her starring roles in Firefly, V, and Stargate SG1. She was Emmy-nominated for Homeland and can soon be seen as the female lead in Marvel’s superhero feature Deadpool.
William Shatner
(The Overseer)
Legendary Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor William Shatner's 6-decades-plus career is still going strong, with iconic roles in The Twilight Zone, The Practice, Boston Legal, and so much more. He is also rumored to command a certain starship in his spare time.
William Shatner
(The Overseer)
Legendary Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor William Shatner's 6-decades-plus career is still going strong, with iconic roles in The Twilight Zone, The Practice, Boston Legal, and so much more. He is also rumored to command a certain starship in his spare time.
Ray Wise
(Cyrus DeKalb)
Some of his best-known roles are his starring vehicles in cult classics Twin Peaks and RoboCop. He has also appeared in such features as Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck and graced the small screen numerous times in such hit shows as 24.
Ray Wise
(Cyrus DeKalb)
Some of his best-known roles are his starring vehicles in cult classics Twin Peaks and RoboCop. He has also appeared in such features as Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck and graced the small screen numerous times in such hit shows as 24.
Bill Moseley (Pavel)
A regular in cult classic horror films such as House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top. He was also a regular on HBO’s Carnivàle.
Bill Moseley (Pavel)
A regular in cult classic horror films such as House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top. He was also a regular on HBO’s Carnivàle.
Dani Lennon (Miriam)
A Chicago native, an actor and classically trained singer best known as Shawna in Lionsgate/FEARnet's cult hit 'Bite Me' with over 30 million views. She is also a writer/producer and self-proclaimed adventure junkie. And as a huge sci-fi geek and Firefly fan, Dani was ecstatic to work with Morena Baccarin on Malevolent.
Dani Lennon (Miriam)
A Chicago native, an actor and classically trained singer best known as Shawna in Lionsgate/FEARnet's cult hit 'Bite Me' with over 30 million views. She is also a writer/producer and self-proclaimed adventure junkie. And as a huge sci-fi geek and Firefly fan, Dani was ecstatic to work with Morena Baccarin on Malevolent.
Director Jason Axinn is a graduate of USC's Cinema-Television School. He has directed/edited over 150 short films for clients that include The Black Eyed Peas, Funny or Die and the Upright Citizens Brigade. He's worked with James Gunn, William, OKGO, Matt Sesser and Phil LaMarr, and directed commercials for Microsoft, Verizon, and Sega, plus several TV pilots. Jason is also an accomplished screenwriter whose scripts have garnered him relationships with Sony, Pixar and Dreamworks.
Key Artist Carl Frank has created both digital and traditional art for the industry's bestselling tabletop games, including Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons & Dragons. He also has experience with portraiture, magazine illustration, and graphics for internet and mobile device game products. His subject matter of preference can generally be summed up as: the weirder, the better.
Producer Cindi Rice has a 20-year career producing and marketing genre content for film, television and gaming audiences. Some of her feature producing credits include Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Paramount Pictures), Midnight Chronicles (Landroval Studios 8, Boll KG), Adventures of Johnny Tao (MTI Entertainment), Wrath of the Dragon God (Warner Bros), Scourge of Worlds (Rhino Home Video) and Joe Nation: Internet Asassin (Film On). Her most extensive work has been on the series front, with credits like Knights of Bloodsteel (SyFy Channel), Bite Me (FEAR net), The Continuum series (Stage5TV) and Interns (Relativity).
Producer Paige Barnett creates interactive and passive content for today's digital platforms. She led the international launch of multi-million dollar children's game platform, ABCmouse.cn, and managed the launch of digital channels Machinima Brasil and Machinima Latino. Her entertainment credits include field producing for live events like Gen Con, co-producing Bite Me (FEARnet), The Continuum series (Stage5tv), and numerous promos for brands like Sega, Kingston, Qualcomm and Microsoft. Paige is also Director of Production with the new travel network, Citizine.tv.
Executive Producer/Co-Writer Jim Cirile has written for hire dozens of action/adventure and action/comedy screenplays. After years of working behind the scenes in NYC and Hollywood on low budget and studio movies, he became Lionsgate's in-house action writer in the 1990s. This resulted in successful films Like Bounty Hunters, Bounty Hunters 2, and Hawk's Vengeance. He also writes for Progression Magazine and about the biz for Hollywood & Vine and is a longtime columnist for Creative Screenwriting.
Executive Producer/Co-Writer Tanya Klein began her career in New York where she spent 20 years directing, writing, producing and performing independent film and theater. She also served as Artistic Director of Creative Artists Laboratory, a NY theater company, where she oversaw not only the company's main stage productions but also the company's expansion into short films and web content. She is the author of many plays and screenplays and as a director she has a number of shorts to her credit.
Color Supervisor T G Hopkins is an LA based illustrator and storyboard artist. He has worked on Adult Swim shows: China Illinois and Rick and Morty, and the SyFy Channel smash hit franchise Sharknado.
Directed by Jason Axinn
Producers: Cindi Rice, Paige Barnett, Jason Axinn
Executive Producers: Tanya Klein, Jim Cirile
Writers: Tanya Klein, Jim Cirile
Key Artist, Animation and Art Director: Carl Frank
Color Design and Supervision: Tim Hopkins
The animated horror flick Malevolent met its Indiegogo goal and then some, so production is well under way; and we’re pleased to present an exclusive first-look still of what they have cooking. The filmmakers tell us that while it’s not a horror-specific scene, it does capture one of their wonderful “shit hits the fan” moments. Read More…
Malevolent is the first animated horror film made in America. It stars Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, Gotham, Firefly), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Robocop, Agent Carter), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II), Dani Lennon (Bite Me), William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal). Read More…
For lifer horror fans like myself, we’re always looking for an original concept to immerse ourselves in. Well, rest easy, because that film has arrived in the form of the very first two-dimensional animated horror, “Malevolent”. In what the creators describe as a meet between “Saw” and “Groundhog Day”, this has everything that a horror lover can enjoy from gore to sinister motive. Read More…
Malevolent combines horror and sci-fi into an original, time-twisting concoction. The producers describe the movie as “Saw meets Groundhog Day.” The entirely hand-drawn, 2-D movie is being designed by renowned fantasy artist Carl Frank (Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering.) It is one of the first, US-produced animated horror feature films. Read More…
Don’t miss this episode! You can help finish a new Horror animated film, featuring the voices of William Shatner, Bill Moseley, Dani Lennon, Morena Baccarin and Ray Wise. Co-producer/writers Tanya Klein and Jim Cirile along with Dani Lennon will join the Kastle Krew to talk about Malevolent and the Indiegogo campaign to wrap it up. Read More…
We last reported on the animated horror film Malevolent a few months ago, and now an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to get it finished and out there. If you’re unsure about contributing, then keep in mind that it stars Bill Moseley, Morena Baccarin (Deadpool), Ray Wise (“Twin Peaks”), Dani Lennon, and Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. Now that, my friends, is an awesome cast! Read More…
Coverage Ink Films’ Tanya Klein and Jim Cirile hit Indiegogo to crowdfund the first U.S.-made animated horror movie Malevolent, which they describe as “Saw meets Groundhog Day.” “We have been in production for a year, and we are about 7-8 months away from completion.” Read More…
Recently I had a chance to cyber-meet Jim Cirile and Tanya Klein, of Coverage Ink Films. They’re making the first American animated horror film, Malevolent, starring Morena Baccarin, Ray Wise, and William Shatner, among others. Read More…
To end our Comikaze coverage this week, we bring you Malevolent! The new animated horror movie starring Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Homeland, Deadpool), William Shatner (I’m not even going to put his credits here), and Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper, Mad Men) combines Saw with Groundhog Day.Read More…
Williams Shatner has been cast in the animated horror film “Malevolent”. Read More…
Coverage Ink Films, the company behind MALEVOLENT, headed by Tanya Klein and Jim Cirile, brings a wide variety of experience to the project. CI Films also produced the 2013 award-winning short Liberator starring Lou Ferrigno, Peta Wilson, and Ed Asner, as well as 2009's Showdown of the Godz starring George Takei. The Liberator franchise was later also expanded into a successful graphic novel. CI Films was founded in 2009 and is an offshoot of CoverageInk, a leading screenplay analysis/development company since 2003.
FILMS
Liberator
A multi-award winning short starring Lou Ferrigno as a disgraced ex-superhero desperate to get his life back on the rails. But when his tell-all book angers the wrong people he's forced to suit up one more time for the fight of his life. Also stars genre icons Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita), Michael Dorn (Star Trek), martial arts legend Don "The Dragon" Wilson and Ed Asner (Up).
Showdown of the Godz
A monstrous comedy with heart, Showdown demonstrates what devotion to Japanese monster movies can do to a marriage and career. Jesse, the world's biggest monster movie fan, is challenged to a trivia showdown with the soon-to-retire archivist from a popular Japanese monster movie studio. But can Jesse keep his job and his marriage intact as he trains for the big event? It features the legendary George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes). Watch Trailer.
PRINCIPALS
Tanya Klein is an Writer/Director/Actor/Producer. She currently serves as writer/executive producer on "Malevolent," CI Films' latest production and just finished working on the multi-award winning "Liberator." She is a recent transplant from New York where she spent the last 20 years directing, writing, producing and performing independent film and theater. She also served as Artistic Director of Creative Artists Laboratory, a NY theater company, where she oversaw not only the company's mainstage productions but also a plethora of sidestage productions as well as the company's expansion into short films and web content. She is the author of many original plays and screenplays. All of her plays have been produced in New York, some for several sold-out runs and some have had the honor of being selected for the New York Fringe Festival, as well as other theater festivals. Her feature screenplays have won several awards and she has a number of produced shorts to her name, a few of which she also directed. Other than that, Ms. Klein's acting resume, if she stopped cutting it down, would be several pages long, the highlights of which are Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Bernarda in The House of Bernarda Alba, Hedda in Hedda Gabler, and Mlle. Y in The Stronger. Her theatrical directing credits number well over one hundred shows, ranging from Chekhov, Ibsen, and Strindberg to contemporary works.
The son of two NYPD Detectives, Jim Cirile was in his first car chase while still in utero. His mother, Det. Marie Cirile, seven months pregnant and one day before maternity leave, pursued and shot a robber she believed had killed her partner through NYC's garment district. Since then, Jim hasn't lost his taste for action and adventure, selling, optioning or writing for hire dozens of action/adventure and action/comedy screenplays. He enjoyed a multipicture studio deal as Lionsgate's in-house action guy which resulted in films like Bounty Hunters and Hawk's Vengeance. Most recently he cowrote and executive produced the award-winning Liberator, starring Lou Ferrigno, Peta Wilson, Michael Dorn and Ed Asner, currently on the festival circuit. Jim is the founder of top-rated screenplay analysis service Coverage Ink as well as Writers on the Storm screenplay competition. He writes about music for Progression magazine and about the biz for Hollywood & Vine online magazine, and was a long-time columnist/contributor to Creative Screenwriting, Script and Weekly World News. he has written two e-books, "The Coverage Ink Spec Format & Style Guide" and "Agent's Hot Sheet." Jim may also be the only writer ever to rewrite the Coen bros. (on the aborted mob comedy Guido.) He is also the founder of Blackbeard for Men, instant brush-on facial hair color for men.
