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EXCLUSIVE: The Hideaway Entertainment has snapped up rights to Level Up, a high concept spec script from screenwriters David Matalon (Totally Killer) and Matthew Altman (Feed the Devil).
A sci-fi action comedy, Level Up is about a man who wakes up bound and blindfolded in a top-secret facility deep beneath Area 5, soon discovering that he has amazing but inexplicable new abilities. His only hope to escape is the alien he’s imprisoned with… and she hates humans. But as they navigate their way out, their unconventional alliance becomes the key to saving the world from an impending global catastrophe.
Jonathan Gray and Matthew Rhodes will produce on behalf of The Hideaway Entertainment, alongside Navid McIllhargey of Vandal Entertainment and Erik Olsen of Apocalyptic Entertainment. The Hideaway’s Ryan Cassells will serve as executive producer. The team is currently meeting with directors and plans to shoot next year.
“As writers,” Matalon and Altman said, “you’re always looking for producers who truly support and champion your work, and are committed to making the movie happen, and that’s why we’re so thrilled to be working with this team.”
Producers Olsen and McIlhargey shared that “when Dave and Matt brought us this outside-the-box take on an alien movie we were blown away. In fact, we were so blown away that we assumed they were aliens themselves. We’re excited to partner with The Hideaway Entertainment to bring the script to life.”
The Hideaway Entertainment’s Rhodes called the script “a wonderfully original and unique action-packed story with other-wordly franchise potential.” He added that “with all the recent news surrounding extraterrestrials and UFOs – now labeled Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), they have crafted a remarkably timely story that unfolds in a world we might soon confirm to be more than just fiction.”
Matalon is best known for co-writing the comedic slasher Totally Killer, produced by Blumhouse for Amazon, from his story written with Sasha Perl-Raver. Nahnatchka Khan directed the pic, starring Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, and Julie Bowen, which premiered to critical acclaim at Fantastic Fest ahead of an October 6th debut on Prime Video. Previously, Matalon wrote and directed The Clearing, an indie thriller about a father fighting his way through a zombie apocalypse to save his daughter. His TV pilot, A Brooklyn Boy, based on Moises Belizario’s one-man show, is being packaged by producer Micky Meyer. Previously, he sold his script The Communion Letters to Syfy/Universal Cable Productions.
Altman sold his female driven action revenge thriller, Red Widow, to STX in a bidding war, also seeing the script make the 2016 Hit List. He then adapted a YA novel for Lionsgate/Summit and Alloy Entertainment, sold his action feature Locked & Loaded to Solstice Entertainment, and produced horror film, Feed the Devil, which he co-wrote with director Max Perrier.
Founded in 2017 by producers Jonathan Gray and Matthew Rhodes, The Hideaway Entertainment is perhaps best known for co-financing and producing the Tom Holland drama Cherry, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who also produced and financed through their company, AGBO. They made that film independently and sold it to Apple TV+ following a heated bidding war in 2021. Other feature credits for the company include Bloodshot, Men in Black: International, and Peter Berg’s action movie Mile 22 for STX Entertainment.
Producers Olsen and McIlhargey started their working relationship while producing for Joel Silver’s banner at Warner Bros, making films like The Book of Eli and RocknRolla. They are on a hot streak with development this year, having set up action film Floyd with Exile Content/Candle Media, The Guns of Christmas Past to star Liev Schreiber at XYZ Films, and an untitled holiday movie to star comedian Russell Peters at Beacon Media.
Matalon is represented by Paradigm; Altman by Parallax Talent Management and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
Matalon’s deal was negotiated by Duncan Hedges at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Altman’s by Allison Binder at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Vandal Entertainment and Apocalyptic Entertainment’s by Tifanie Acosta at Entertainment Law Partners; and The Hideaway Entertainment’s by Christian Simonds at Reed Smith.
