Attack The Block from the producers of ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ starts principal photography
22 March 2010: Principal photography has commenced on writer/director Joe Cornish’s debut feature film ATTACK THE BLOCK. A fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters, the film stars Jodie Whittaker (‘St. Trinians’, ‘Venus’) and newcomers John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones and Simon Howard. The supporting cast includes Nick Frost (‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’) and Luke Treadaway (‘Clash of the Titans’).
The film is produced by Nira Park (‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’, ‘Scott Pilgrim v. the World’) and James Wilson. The executive producers are Big Talk’s Matthew Justice, Film4’s Tessa Ross and Optimum Releasing’s Will Clarke and Jenny Borgars.
Trainee nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is walking alone through the dark streets of South London when a gang of youths surround her and rob her, but she is saved when something falls from the sky. A meteor impacts with a nearby parked car and Sam flees, just before the gang is attacked by a small alien creature that leaps from the wreckage. The gang chases the creature and kills it, dragging its ghoulish carcass to the top of the block, which they treat as their territory. But the adventure is not over. The alien attacks have only just begun…
Writer/Director Joe Cornish first appeared on British TV screens in 1997 as co-star and co-creator of ‘The Adam and Joe Show’, a home-made comedy show famous for its sketches, songs and animations satirizing pop culture. Joe created the show’s signature ‘Toymovie’ animations and directed its live action segments. The show found considerable cult and critical acclaim, winning them the Royal Television Society’s Best Newcomer Award and running for four series. Cornish has also directed the two Channel 4 comedy pilots ‘Modern Toss’ and ‘Blunder’, both of which were commissioned as series, as well as an intimate documentary on the making of the hit BBC comedy show ‘Little Britain’. With his writing partner Edgar Wright, Cornish has written screenplays for ‘The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn’ (along with Steven Moffat) which is currently being filmed by Steven Spielberg and ‘Ant-Man’, to be directed by Wright. Cornish also maintains a successful radio career with Adam that started on X-FM and then moved to BBC6 Music, and which won them the 2008 Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Radio Programme of the Year and three Silver Sony Awards in 2009.
ATTACK THE BLOCK’s cinematographer is Tom Townend, the film is production designed by Marcus Rowland (‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’, ‘Scott Pilgrim v. the World’), costume designed by Rosa Dias, edited by Jonathan Amos (‘Scott Pilgrim v. the World’), the Creature Effects are by Spectral Motion (‘Hellboy I and II’, ‘A.I.’, ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’) and the Visual Effects are by Double Negative (‘Green Zone’, ‘2012’, ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’).
Studio Canal, Film4 and the UK Film Council present a Big Talk Pictures production of ATTACK THE BLOCK. The film is developed by Big Talk with Film4 through a slate deal jointly funded by Film4 and the UK Film Council.
International sales are being handled by Studio Canal International.
Distribution is through Studio Canal’s direct territories: Optimum Releasing UK, Kinowelt Germany and Studio Canal France.