IndiaPost.com - Virgin Comics, Studio 18 partner to make teen horror films

NEW YORK: In an innovative move of its kind for the Indian motion picture industry, Virgin Comics, and India's leading motion picture studio, Studio 18 announced the formation of a new production relationship to create a slate of teen horror properties for films, television, games and publishing.

Horror has increasingly become one of the most profitable genres in film worldwide, driven largely by the youth. The new stories, will be co-created and co-owned by Virgin and Studio 18 and be released initially as graphic novels to be published worldwide by Virgin. The partnership anticipates an ongoing slate of teen horror properties to be created each year with the first comic book expected to release end of 2007.

Virgin Comics LLC is an entertainment and media company creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in 2005 by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and entrepreneurs, Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman. Virgin is developing new stories with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and musicians including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Terry Gilliam, Dave Stewart, Duran Duran and others.

Feature films based on Virgin Comics' characters are also in the works, including an animated feature 'The Secrets of the Seven Sounds' and 'The Sadhu' with Nicolas Cage. "The exploding youth demographics of India, coupled with the widespread expansion of theatrical chains have created a need for film genre diversification beyond traditional Bollywood films, making this move into horror ideally timed," said Virgin Comics CEO, Sharad Devarajan.

"Beyond the domestic market in India, the export and remake success of Japanese horror films like 'The Ring' and 'The Grudge' is indicative of the potential to bring these films worldwide." "Studio 18 and Virgin Comics will be pioneering the creation of genre- specific content and will be investing in building 'franchises/brands' out of these creative properties.

On gauging, the popularity of these properties, these will be launched into features films and exploited on other platforms such as gaming, television series, wireless etc.", added Sandeep Bhargava, CEO - Studio 18.

"For centuries, India has enchanted, intrigued, and enlightened the world. Now it's time to scare the hell out of it. Bring your demons, ghosts, and nightmares here and we'll take them to the world," commented Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics, Chief Creative Officer. India's most innovative directors and screenwriters will be recruited to participate in the creation of the new horror properties.

Studio 18, a full-spectrum movie studio of the TV 18 Group, produces, co-produces and acquires Indian and International feature films with global appeal and distributes them in the US, UK and UAE through its own offices, and in other countries, through designated distributors.

It made its Cannes debut this year, and besides showcasing its front-line Bollywood titles, announced its principal international venture, Little Zizou, by Sooni Taraporevala and Mira Nair.