RI Producer Chad Verdi to Make Three Movies Over Next 10 Months
GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team
RI Producer Chad Verdi to Make Three Movies Over Next 10 Months
Bad Hurt
The first film that Verdi and his wife Michelle will executive produce is titled Bad Hurt. Bad Hurt is currently being filmed in NY with principal photography ending in mid-March. Bad Hurt, a drama which follows the struggles of a blue collar American family, is directed by Mark Kemble off his screenplay which he wrote alongside Jamieson Stern. The film stars Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy, Cloverfield, Red Sands) Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Perfect Storm, Scrooged) and Ashley Williams (Margin Call, Something Borrowed, How I Met Your Mother).
Almost Mercy
The second feature is titled Almost Mercy and was written by B. Dolan and Tom DeNucci. Verdi has tapped DeNucci to direct/produce and Sam Eilertsen will be the director of photography. The film tells the tale of a quaint little town with a dark secret. The story focuses on two outcasts, Jackson and Emil, victims of the town's seedy underbelly, who seek revenge on those who’ve wronged them.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe film stars Kane Hodder (Jason X, Monster, Hatchet), best known for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise, who will play Coach Elwood, a seedy, overly aggressive gym teacher, driven by self-help books and his obsession with inflicting mental pain on his students. Horror icon Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects, Night of the Living Dead, Army of Darkness) will play Pastor Johnson, an overzealous preacher, who has the whole town fooled.
"Tom DeNucci has directed two great films for us and we expect that he will repeat this again." Verdi said. "DeNucci was elevated to producer on this feature film because of all his hard work and dedication to the project. I am very happy that the flowing producers and ex-producers will be joining Tommy and I in association with LDI unlimited, David Gere, David Lussier as producers and Sherry Lussier, Michael Cole, Taylor Van Zant, Seth Rosenblit with Michelle Verdi as ex-producer and music supervisor."
Bleed For This
The third film, Bleed for This, tells the true-life story of 5-time world champion Rhode Island boxer Vinny Pazienza as he recovers from a near fatal car accident that left him with a broken neck. He then goes on to win three additional world boxing titles, one of the most incredible and dramatic comebacks in sports history.
Golden Globe nominated actor Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Olympus Has Fallen, I, Frankenstein) will take on the role of Paz's boxing trainer, Kevin Rooney. Rooney was the trainer to Mike Tyson when Tyson won his first heavyweight championship. Miles Teller (The Fantastic Four, 21 & Over, Project X), who’s currently starring in That Awkward Moment, will play Vinny Paz.
In addition to Verdi and his wife Michelle, the powerhouse team is led by writer/director Ben Younger (Boiler Room, Prime) Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese, Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (American Beauty, Silver Linings Playbook), and Emma Tillinger Koskoff (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street).
"I am very excited about taking on the challenges of producing these three films over the next 10 months,” said Verdi. “It's a very special time for my wife Michelle and I, and our whole production team. It's not often a production company like ours has the luxury of turning down fully funded projects. We are currently booked through 2016 and it's a great position to be in."
Coming to fruition
Verdi's home-grown East Greenwich Company, Verdi Productions/Woodhaven Production Company, has produced six feature films in Rhode Island over the past four years. Bleed for This is his most ambitious project to date, with an estimated budget between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000.
"My producing partners Noah Kraft, my wife Michelle, and I got involved in the film business in 2009 with one purpose: to have the story of Vinny Paz told,” added Verdi. “The best thing that ever happened to this project was Ben Younger coming on board to write and direct Bleed for This. Bleed for This is Ben's vision and with the support of Martin Scorsese, Bruce Cohen and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, this film is destined for greatness. I was introduced to Martin and Emma through Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been instrumental in helping me develop these projects." Verdi added, "Writer/director Tom DeNucci will be brought on board as a consultant to the project. Tom will be working directly for me over the next several months in order for us to be ready to shoot sometime this summer."
25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray Frances McDormand
This Oscar nominated film features many local landmarks including Fort Wetherill State Park, Bayfield Farm, and the Conanicut Lighthouse.
Mr. North
1988
Director: Danny Huston
Cast: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall
Shot in Newport, this comedy-drama features Anthony Edwards as a con man attempting to break into the 1920s Newport social scene.
There's Something About Mary
1998
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
Filmed partly in Providence, this movie was the highest-grossing comedy in 1998.
Federal Hill
1994
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Nicholas Turturro, Anthony DeSando, Libby Langdon
Set in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, the movie marks the directorial debut of Pawtucket native Michael Corrente.
Age of Innocence
1993
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder
This Oscar winning drama was partly filmed in Portsmouth.
True Lies
1994
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold
The ballroom scenes in the movie were filmed at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.
High Society
1956
Director: Charles Walters
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra
Nominated for two Academy Awards, the movie's opening shot features a flyover of Newport’s oceanfront mansions.
Thirteen Days
2000
Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Steven Culp
This docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis was partly shot in Newport.
Little Children
2006
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley
Shot partly in Providence, this critically acclaimed drama received three Academy Award nominations, including a Best Lead Actress nod for Kate Winslet.
RIPD
2013
Director: Peter M. Lenkov
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon
A car chase for this action-comedy was filmed in downtown Providence.
Amistad
1997
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey
Shot at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport and the State House in Providence, this drama received four Academy Award nominations in 1998.
Outside Providence
1999
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin
Filmed in multiple locations throughout Rhode Island, this movie is an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.
Me, Myself & Irene
2000
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins
Filmed in Newport, Narragansett, Jamestown, and Galilee, this comedy centers on a Rhode Island State Trooper played by Jim Carrey.
Evening
2007
Director: Lajos Koltai
Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep
The film was primarily set in Newport and included large portions shot at Gooseberry Beach.
The Great Gatsby
1974
Director: Jack Clayton
Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern
This Academy Award-winning drama was filmed in Newport at the Rosecliff Mansion on Bellevue Ave.
Self Storage
2013
Director: Tom DeNucci
Cast: Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman, Michael Berryman, Tom DeNucci
Filmed in a self storage facility in East Greenwich, this horror-comedy marks the directorial debut of Cranston native Tom DeNucci.
27 Dresses
2008
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Åkerman, Ed Burns
Shot throughout Rhode Island, locations included the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport and a beach in Charlestown.
Dan in Real Life
2007
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill
Filmed primarily in Jamestown, the movie also features the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett.
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
2009
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander
Filmed primarily in Bristol and Woonsocket, other locations included the Columbus Theater in Providence and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
The Education of Charlie Banks
2007
Director: Fred Durst
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri
Shot partially in Brown University in Providence, the movie marks the directorial debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
Meet Joe Black
1998
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani
Warwick's Aldrich Mansion served as the residence of Anthony Hopkins' character in the film.
Reversal of Fortune
1990
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Cast: Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver
Jeremy Irons took home the Oscar for Best Actor for this drama, which was partly shot in Newport.
Underdog
2007
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Cast: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Amy Adams
Shot entirely in Rhode Island, filming locations included Hope High School on the East Side of Providence.
Tanner Hall
2009
Directors: Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg
Cast: Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson
Shot in Providence and Newport, the film marks the the directorial debut of Brown University graduates Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg.
Dumb and Dumber
1994
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
Scenes from the beginning of this comedy were filmed on location in Providence, including a shot of the Big Blue Bug.
