Award-winning veterans of the horror/sci-fi genres today announced the launch of Dark Ride Entertainment and its partnership with Struans Media. Struans Media’s financial investment in Dark Ride will fully fund its first slate of eight genre films to be completed by 2015.
“Dark Ride was created to fill a void in fun, entertaining horror and sci-fi films with great production values that can be made at an affordable cost,” said William Butler, President, Dark Ride Entertainment. “The team at Dark Ride has all done this successfully before; we’re fortunate to have developed a cost effective system of production, and we’re excited to go on this ride with Struans Media. It’s great to embark on this journey at a time when Hollywood is realizing you don’t always need big names and big budgets to create films that are both entertaining and profitable.”
Dark Ride’s creative team includes filmmaker William Butler, who previously directed Madhouse for Lionsgate/Lakeshore, Furnace for Weinstein Co. and has written for the SyFy Channel. John Vulich, who has won three Emmy Awards for special effects and makeup on The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series, is vice president and will lend his producing and extensive special and visual effects resources to the productions.
“Dark Ride’s creative team’s track record and vision makes them the perfect partners for Struans Media,” said George Malasek, CEO, Struans Media. “Our goal has always been to fully finance projects we are passionate about that will entertain a wide audience of fans and by investing in Dark Ride, we are accomplishing this goal.”
The first film will be Hell Storm, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror project written and directed by Butler, filming in Los Angeles in late summer 2012. The films will all be executive produced by Struans Media partners George Malasek and John Cole. Overseeing physical production is Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Peter Garcia.
