A blazing 'Sunrise'
Brooks gets serious with script, Sanger pact
The script by Dan Witt centers on the relationship between William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex, and the ensuing battle to create a strong, unified England near the end of the 11th century.
Said Brooks, with characteristic humor, “The project unites two of my great passions: conquering England and making movies.”
“Sunrise,” which was being developed by Longbow Prods.’ Ronnie Clemmer and Bill Pace (“A League of Their Own”), will be produced by Longbow, Brooks and Sanger.
Dramatic productions
Better known for tongue-in-cheek fare, Brooks also produced “The Elephant Man,” which was nommed for seven Oscars, and “84 Charing Cross Road.” While it has been some time since Brooks last produced a pic, (the last one being the 1995 send-up “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”), Brooksfilms is getting a shot of adrenaline through an expanded relationship with producer Sanger.
While still based at Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s C/W Prods., Sanger, who most recently served as the U.S. exec in charge of production for “Mission: Impossible 2” will enter into a producing relationship with Brooksfilms that begins with “Sunrise.”
“I was always more interested in producing, and I’ll continue to produce here (at C/W) too,” said Sanger. While at C/W, he produced the Steve Prefontaine biopic, “Without Limits.”
Sanger is also developing “Beast of Bataan” with Brooksfilms, a Pacific theater-themed World War II pic from an original script by Tom Wright. Chris Carlson and Mark Jean are rewriting it with Jean attached to direct.
Witt was repped by Rima Greer at Above the Line Agency.
