Burnaby Boy Daljit DJ Parmar And Top Hollywood Action Director Renny Harlin Launch China-Based Extraordinary Entertainment Production Company!
LINK editor R. Paul Dhillon, also a well known writer-director and film producer, who has his new film DESI ANGREJ: The Fusion Generation releasing soon, met up with Parmar during his recent trip to China as part of Heritage Minister Melanie Joly’s Cultural-Film delegation, is absolutely overjoyed and extremely proud of his friend whom he has since Parmar started out as a young filmmaker in Vancouver. “What DJ has achieved in his more than decade in the film business is just extraordinary and that too starting a big film company with an iconic Hollywood director like Renny and two have befitting named the company Extraordinary Entertainment,” Dhillon told DESIBUZZCanada.
By PD Raj – Senior Writer DESIBUZZCanada
BEIJING – Young Indo-Canadian Producer Daljit DJ Parmar has joined forces with top Hollywood action director-producer Renny Harlin to launch China-based Extraordinary Entertainment production and finance company.
The duo made the announcement on Tuesday at the Cannes film market which made headlines globally on top entertainment publications like Variety, Hollywood Reporter and Deadline Hollywood
Harlin, who has made three movies in China and taken up residence in Beijing, is partnering with producer Parmar (“Kung Fu Yoga”) to produce big budget tent poles as well as international co-productions.
LINK editor R. Paul Dhillon, also a well known writer-director and film producer, who has his new film DESI ANGREJ: The Fusion Generation releasing soon, met up with Parmar during his recent trip to China as part of Heritage Minister Melanie Joly’s Cultural-Film delegation, is absolutely overjoyed and extremely proud of his friend whom he has since Parmar started out as a young filmmaker in Vancouver.
“What DJ has achieved in his more than decade in the film business is just extraordinary and that too starting a big film company with an iconic Hollywood director like Renny and two have befitting named the company Extraordinary Entertainment,” Dhillon told DESIBUZZCanada.
“In today’s business world, it’s go big or go home and that mantra applied ten-fold to the film business and DJ has always been very ambitious and has always positioned himself for the big game, leaving Vancouver and establishing himself in China through Shineworks Film company and being part of the producing team on Jackie Chan starrer Kung Yoga and setting up the remakes of Expendables and Rambo, which he is doing with Bollywood action superstar Tiger Shroff. By all means, DJ has gone big and I wish him great success in the future,” said Dhillon, adding that his friend showed him great hospitality during his recent stopover in Beijing.
Parmar and Harlin’s Extraordinary Entertainment will have bases in Beijing and Hong Kong, and focus on developing international co-productions, as well as local-language Chinese content. Its pipeline is intended to be filled with action, sci-fi and comedy-adventure movies budgeted in the range of $10 million to $50 million, and New Age, premium and scripted series for TV and online, reported Variety Magazine.
Parmar is CEO, while Harlin is the company’s chief creative officer.
The company has financial backing from Chinese strategic investors, mostly institutions and high-net-worth individuals. Talent agency UTA will represent the new company globally, including Harlin and Parmar.
The first announced feature, “Solara,” will see Harlin direct and produce with Parmar. “Solara” is a Mandarin-language sci-fi epic revolving around an international team working to save the Earth and the human race from a global catastrophe. The film was hatched by the writing team of Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt (“London Has Fallen,” “Expendables 3,” “Olympus Has Fallen”).
“We are using Hollywood writers for experience, story and structure, and then will team up with Chinese writers to adapt after, as Renny has often done with his films,” Parmar told Variety.
He declined to give specifics about the scale of budget or international rights, indicating that either a sale to a Hollywood studio or to an indie company are still possible.
“We want to create top-quality entertainment for a Chinese audience and reach out to the international market with co-productions that authentically portray the Chinese spirit, heart and soul,” Harlin said in a statement. Other projects are being developed, but were not disclosed.
Harlin recently directed comedy-adventure “Skiptrace,” starring Jackie Chan, which grossed about $137 million in China. He is currently in post-production on one of the biggest-ever adaptations of a Chinese video game, “The Legend of the Ancient Sword,” for Alibaba Pictures, and the action thriller “Bodies at Rest” for Wanda Pictures.
“’Solara’ is an exciting example where we have developed a tent-pole film catered for China with the potential to have success globally,” Parmar said. “We will cater to the growing demand from Chinese audiences for universal stories that are commercial and explore cultural diversity, promoting intercultural understanding.”
Parmar was previously Vice President of International at Shinework Pictures and was an executive producer on Kung Fu Yoga starring Chan, which grossed over $250M worldwide.
UTA will rep Extraordinary globally, including Harlin and Parmar.
Both Parmar and Harlin were in Cannes talking up the new venture this week.
With News Files
