Late billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp. has unveiled a production company. Survival Pictures, which will have as its first production the Armenian Genocide-themed film, “The Promise,” with Christian Bale attached as the lead, Variety reported Tuesday.
Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser told Variety, “Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian’s unwavering dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around the world. ‘The Priomise’ will be a wonderful love story and will open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate in the development and casting process.”
Survival is described as telling stories of “perseverance, endurance and the inextinguishable fire of the human spirit” to reflect Kerkorian’s values, reported Variety.
Kerkorian died on June 15 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 98.
According to Variety, “The Promise” will be produced and financed by Survival Pictures managers Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic, with “Hotel Rwanda” director Terry George helming from a script he wrote with Robin Swicord.
The story is set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, which was dissolved in 1922, with shooting in Portugal and the Canary Islands scheduled for the fall. Mike Medavoy (“Black Swan”) is producing for his Phoenix Pictures banner with Esrailian, Ralph Winter (“X-Men”) and William Horberg (“Milk”).
The script centers on a love triangle with a medical student, an American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and sophisticated woman. Bale will play the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student, who’s conflicted by old-world traditions.
Anthony Mandekic, Patricia Glaser, Dan Taylor and Sheri Sani will serve as executive producers along with Kerkorian, who will receive his first such credit.
