Highland Film Group Launching Worldwide Sales at the American Film Market on behalf of Aanaxion Studio

Milla Jovovich (the billion-dollar Resident Evil franchise) is set to star in the action-thriller Protector, it was announced today. The film is directed by Adrian Grünberg (Rambo: Last Blood, Get the Gringo) and is written by Bong-Seeb Mun.

Protector is produced by Kenneth Kim, Bang-Ok Joo, Bong-Seeb Mun for Aanaxion Studio, Ceasar Richbow and Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier for Highland Film Group. Also producing is acclaimed martial artist, stuntman and stunt coordinator Ho-Sung Pak (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Olympus Has Fallen, Bullet Train,), who also serves as the film’s stunt coordinator.

Highland Film Group is co-financing Protector and handling worldwide rights, launching sales at the American Film Market. Production is set to begin this winter in New Mexico.

“Milla Jovovich is the ultimate action star with broad reach and global appeal and brings a keen sense of physicality and dimension to the role,” said Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser. “It’s wonderful to be working again with Adrian Grünberg on this pulse-pounding, non-stop, action thrill ride – it’s full of so many twists and turns and the unique concept of the story is perfect material for the start of a new franchise,” added Highland COO Delphine Perrier.

Nikki (Milla Jovovich), a former war hero, thought she’d left her violent past behind for a peaceful life with her daughter, Chloe. That peace is shattered when Nikki awakens bound in an abandoned factory, only to discover that Chloe has been kidnapped. Quickly escaping, Nikki plunges into the city’s criminal underworld and in her quest to find Chloe, she draws the attention of both the police and the military, shooting her to the top of the most wanted list. But the deeper she goes, the more she uncovers a shocking truth that threatens everything she’s fighting for. In this high-stakes race against time, Nikki must find the strength she thought she left behind to restore the hero her daughter desperately needs.

Milla Jovovich is known for her starring role in Paul W.S. Anderson’s action-packed thriller Resident Evil based on the wildly popular video game. She reprised her role as the zombie slaying heroine in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Retribution and again in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Additional credits include Zoolander and its sequel Zoolander 2, Spike Lee’s He’s Got Game and Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element. She can next be seen in Paul W.S. Anderson’s fantasy film In the Lost Lands opposite Dave Bautista, based on the short story from George R.R. Martin.

Highland Film Group’s current slate also includes Chuck Russell’s horror-thriller Witchboard, Justin Chadwick’s action thriller Sierra Madre starring Kiefer Sutherland; the action crime thriller Wardriver starring Dane DeHaan and Sasha Calle; John Stalberg, Jr.’s Muzzle: City of Wolves starring Aaron Eckhart; Allan Ungar’s action-comedy London Calling starring Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor; and Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller Not Without Hope starring Zachary Levi and Josh Duhamel.

Jovovich is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.

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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; Dimitri Logothetis’ actioner Gunner starring Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth; 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 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.