Doncaster writer pens Hollywood screenplay
“It’s a blooming long way from Yorkshire's Hemworth High School to Hollywood” wryly admits horror novelist Simon Clark as he heads out to a Doncaster park with his Border Collie.
Simon Clark, born in Wakefield, grew up in Thorpe Audlin. His first job was in Pontefract’s Hillards’ Supermarket before he went to work for Wakefield Council. His novels include Blood Crazy, The Night of the Triffids, Vampyrrhic and Sherlock Holmes: Lord of Damnation. The Protos Experiment is his first screenplay and feature film.
How did it all begin?
“I’ve never written a screenplay before. What I have been writing for the last 30 years are horror novels, including one called Blood Crazy, set in Doncaster, and it became a global success. Five years ago, I decided to write a screenplay entitled The Protos Experiment, a dystopian sci-fi thriller, designed to appeal to fans of the Saw movies, Squid Games and Black Mirror. Welsh film-maker Julian Richards read it, liked it, and introduced it to Los Angeles production company Avenet Images who turned it into a film".
What's the story?
“A man wakes in a cell to find himself chained to a monstrous figure… In a dystopian future, death row inmates are used like lab rats by a private company who use memory implants to reprogram prisoners’ minds. Nurture versus Nature. Two prisoners are subjected to dangerous and cruel experiments. They must escape or risk losing their minds forever.”
Where was it made?
"It was filmed in LA studios and in Californian deserts. The producers are Laurence Avenet-Bradley, Mike Sharrak, Julian Richards and the director co-writer is Brian Avenet-Bradley".
Who's in it?
"The film stars Anja Akstin (The Walking Dead), Fred Thomas Jr. (Kold x Windy), Ricky Herrera (The Hunted: NYCSS), Trista Robinson (The Human Race), Cory Landis (Once Upon a Christmas Wish) and Mike Fergusun who plays the monsterous figure, Goliath.
Can we see it in the cinema?
"The Protos Experiment recieved its world premiere at Another Hole in The Head Film Festival in San Francisco where it won Best Horror Feature. It's UK premiere was at Horror-On-Sea Film Festival in Southend followed by Romford Horror Film Festival. In July I travelled to Los Angeles to attend the Hollywood premiere and now the film is available to watch on Amazon Prime, Sky Store, I-Tunes/Apple TV and also DVD"
Will there be a book based on the film?
"Yes, I adapted the screenplay to a novel whilst the film was in production and it has already been published in paperback and kindle by Darkness Visible Publishing.