Lumina (film)

Last updated
Lumina
Lumina film poster.png
Film poster
Directed by Gino J.H. McKoy
Screenplay by Gino J.H. McKoy
Based on Science fiction
Thriller
Horror
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by Thom Noble
Music by Gino J.H. McKoy
Matthew Sargent
Production
companies
  • Luminamovie LLC
  • Goldove Entertainment
Distributed byGoldove
Release date
  • July 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • French
  • Arabic

Lumina is an upcoming American science fiction horror film written and directed by Gino J.H. McKoy. [1] [2] [3] The film will be released on July 12, 2024. [4]

Contents

The film is produced by Gino J.H. McKoy, Lynda McKoy, David Seychell and Hudson McKoy. [5] The production's editor is Thom Noble. [5]

Plot

Lumina narrates the story of Alex, whose girlfriend Tatiana disappears suddenly in a flash of a blinding light. Completely traumatized by the situation, Alex, along with his friends and a conspiracy theorist, embarks on a journey through a desert, during which they encounter unexpected challenges that compel them to fight for their lives and discover the truth that will change their lives. The film further examines the psychological effects on people when a family member or loved one disappears. Lumina incorporates elements of action and comedy, aiming to introduce emotional depth to the science fiction genre. [6]

Cast

Production

Early development

The process of bringing the film Lumina to life involved significant challenges. After numerous agencies were unable to commit to a director, the film's screenwriter, Gino J.H. McKoy decided to direct the film himself. [10] Together with his mother, Lynda, they secured a domestic wide release service distribution deal in 2019 with Entertainment Studio Motion Pictures/Freestyle Releasing, which would have covered 2000-2500 screens across the U.S. and Canada, along with output deals with Lionsgate, Netflix, and FilmNation. [10] However, after 18 months of negotiations, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the film economy to a standstill, resulting in the closure of theaters and the cessation of film production. This made a wide release infeasible. [10] Despite these setbacks, the McKoys continued with pre-production and planned to revisit distribution after post-production. [10]

The financing for the film was secured through Lynda's longtime friend, David Seychell. During a planned trip to discuss the film's financing in July 2020, Seychell was critically injured in a private plane crash in the Colorado mountains. [10] After weeks of treatment in Colorado and Toronto, Seychell began to recover and his paper contract for Lumina was found intact at the crash site. [10]

Preproduction in Morocco

In Ouarzazate, director Mckoy enlisted British DP Larry Smith, who had formerly worked with Stanley Kubrick. [11] However, their journey to Marrakesh was interrupted by a call concerning threats against producer Lynda Mckoy from service producer "M", leading them to return to Ouarzazate. [11] Upon arrival at CLA Studio, they found "M" orchestrating a strike, alleging the producers' non-payment of bills, while Lynda's persistent requests for invoices had been ignored. Proofs of correspondence and partial payments were subsequently presented. [11] It was later revealed that "M's" assistant had been secretly storing the Moroccan crew's financial documents. [11]

On a single day, all cast and crew underwent COVID-19 testing due to producer Lynda Mckoy's concerns about inadequate protocol adherence. Lynda and Hudson Mckoy, parents of the director, received false positive results. They then traveled to Marrakesh in a privately rented bus for retesting and self-isolated at the Opera Plaza Hotel. [11] Concurrently, Gino rode in the production bus serving as a decoy, attracting the attention of the authorities searching for the Mckoys. [11] Upon discovering the Mckoy's location, 'M' directed police to their hotel room. [11] The Mckoys informed officials that the embassies of the UK, US, and Canada were aware of their situation, and kept their predicament confidential from the crew at the Rotana Hotel. [11] Subsequently, the local authorities ordered the closure of the CLA studios for disinfection and quarantine. [11] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this led to the halt of sci-fi set construction in Ouarzazate, and service producer 'M' demanded payroll for the Moroccan team during the studio shutdown. [11]

In Marrakesh's Rotana Hotel, pre-production occurred in a secure environment. However, five actors from the U.S. and U.K. ceased their involvement prematurely, despite ongoing contracts. [11] In an unprecedented event in Hollywood history, Director Gino J.H Mckoy identified this as a planned act to undermine Lumina. [11] The actors retained their compensation, representing a unique case of potential project sabotage exceeding not just financial issues. [11]

In 2020, SAG-AFTRA instructed its members to avoid working on the film Lumina, which allegedly failed to comply with required COVID-19 safety standards as per the union's Global Rule One, making it one of the few movies to proceed without union support. [12] [13] [11]

Filming

Lumina was filmed in Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Agafay, and the Atlas Mountains areas in Morocco. [14] The Sci Fi sets were built at the CLA studios in Ouarzazate. [11] Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was able to navigate the obstacles and proceed with filming. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marrakesh</span> City in Morocco

Marrakesh or Marrakech is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the final episode first aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actors' Equity Association</span> American labor union for theater performers

The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a book or through-storyline may be represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). The AEA works to negotiate quality living conditions, livable wages, and benefits for performers and stage managers. A theater or production that is not produced and performed by AEA members may be called "non-Equity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screen Actors Guild</span> American labor union (1933–2012)

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to create SAG-AFTRA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ouarzazate</span> City in Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door of the desert, is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, south-central Morocco.

A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background. War films and epic films often employ background actors in large numbers: some films have featured hundreds or even thousands of paid background actors as cast members. Likewise, grand opera can involve many background actors appearing in spectacular productions.

Lynda Rosen Obst is an American feature film producer and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Morocco</span> History of cinema in Morocco

The history of the cinema of Morocco dates back to "The Moroccan Goatherd" by Louis Lumière in 1897. During the French protectorate, films were produced and directed by French filmmakers, and in 1952, Orson Welles directed his Othello in the historic city of Essaouira. Since independence in 1956, Moroccan film directors developed the national film industry. Emergence in the 1970s met with growing international success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landmarks of Marrakesh</span>

This article describes notable landmarks and architecture in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. H. Wyman</span> American film director

Joel Howard "J. H." Wyman is a film and TV producer, screenwriter, director and musician. He is best known for his work on the Fox science fiction shows Fringe and Almost Human, and wrote and produced the films The Mexican (2001) and Dead Man Down (2013).

Popular culture references to Marrakech, Morocco:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAG-AFTRA</span> American media labor union

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union that reflects the 2012 merger of SAG and AFTRA. It represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. SAG-AFTRA is also a member of the International Federation of Actors (FIA).

From October 2016, to November 2017, SAG-AFTRA, representing voice actors went on strike against 11 American video game companies over failed contract renegotiation terms of the Interactive Media Agreements that had been in discussion since February 2015. Principally, the union sought to have actors and voice and motion capture performers that contribute to video games be better compensated with residuals based on video game sales atop their existing recording payments, while the industry companies asserted that the industry as a whole eschews the use of residuals, and by giving the actors these, they would trivialize the efforts of the developers that are most responsible for the development of the games. In exchange, the companies had offered a fixed increase in rates and a sliding-scale upfront bonus for multiple recording sessions, which the union had rejected. Other issues highlighted by the strike action include better transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform, more safety precautions and oversight to avoid vocal stress for certain roles, and better safety assurances for actors while on set.

Tales from the Loop is an American science fiction drama television series developed and written by Nathaniel Halpern based on the art book of the same name by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. The eight-episode first season was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video on April 3, 2020.

<i>The Peripheral</i> (TV series) American science-fiction drama television series

The Peripheral is an American science fiction television series created by Scott B. Smith. Produced by Amazon, it is loosely based on the 2014 book written by William Gibson. Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers, along with Athena Wickham, Steve Hoban, and Vincenzo Natali. Set roughly 50 years in the future, with new technology that has changed society in subtle ways, a gamer is delivered a connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.

<i>The Creator</i> (2023 film) Sci-fi film by Gareth Edwards

The Creator is a 2023 American science fiction action film directed and co-produced by Gareth Edwards, who wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz. It stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, and Allison Janney. Set in 2070, 15 years after artificial intelligence (AI) set off a nuclear detonation in Los Angeles, which started a war of humans against AI, a former special forces agent is recruited to hunt down and kill the "Creator," who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 actors strike</span> Labor action in United States

The 1980 actors strike was a labor strike held in July–October 1980 by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), two labor unions representing actors in the American film industry. The strike was caused by a breakdown in labor contract negotiations between the two unions and representatives of film studios, television networks, and other independent producers. The primary point of contention regarded residuals from home media, such as videocassettes and pay television. Specifically, the union was seeking a form of profit sharing wherein they would receive a percentage of the revenue made from home media releases. Additionally, the unions wanted a 35 percent salary increase across the board for their members. By mid-July, the union and industry representatives were at an impasse, and the strike started on July 21. Several days later, the American Federation of Musicians also went on strike for similar reasons.

Gino J.H. McKoy is a film director, screenwriter, singer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Hollywood labor disputes</span> American media labor disputes

From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the film and television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. It was the second time two Hollywood labor unions were striking simultaneously — the first having occurred in 1960 – and as such, the American news media named this phenomenon the "Hollywood double strike", and surpassed the 1960 dual strike as well. By November 9, 2023, both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA had reached tentative deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and ended their strikes.

References

  1. Bukszpan, Daniel (May 19, 2019). "Game of Thrones fans are angry about the final season – and the franchise could suffer for it". CNBC .
  2. McNary, Dave (June 14, 2018). "Film News Roundup: Paramount Taps Tyler Perry, Michael Bay to Produce Thriller 'I Am Yours'". Variety .
  3. "Lumina Brazilian cinema under the spotlight after a four-year break from Cannes". Le Film Francais.
  4. Armstrong, Vanessa (May 1, 2024). "Trailer for Sci-Fi Horror Film Lumina Brings Us a DUMB, Not-Nice Aliens, and Feelings of Dread".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Flam, Charna (March 15, 2023). "Porter+Craig Film and Media to Release 'Lumina' Starring Eric Roberts This Summer". Variety .
  6. collimateur, Le (July 1, 2023). ""Lumina", premier film de science-fiction tourné au Maroc". Le Collimateur.
  7. Ngo, Sheiresa (July 8, 2021). "Gino McKoy Tells Us About His New Movie 'Lumina'".
  8. Grobar, Matt (April 13, 2023). "Emily Hall, David Kelsey To Star In Duane Edwards' Indie Drama 'Wrong Numbers'". Deadline .
  9. "JVV | ANDREA TIVADAR" (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The fight to bring Lumina to light". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian .
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Maroc/Cinéma : L'histoire du tournage du film Lumina tourné à Ourzazate, est en lui même un épisode relevant de la fiction". Maghreb Observateur. June 23, 2023.
  12. Robb, David (December 12, 2020). "SAG-AFTRA Puts Kibosh On 'Lumina' For Failing To Comply With Covid-19 Safety Protocols". Deadline .
  13. "Over the Weekend 12/14/20: SAG-AFTRA Shuts Down Lumina and More News | Below the Line". December 14, 2020.
  14. "Une exclusivité : «Lumina », premier film de science-fiction tourné au Maroc". La Quotidienne.
  15. "Cinéma: Les productions étrangères reprennent à Marrakech". L'Économiste . February 28, 2021.