Mikhail Red to direct new film ‘Friendly Fire’ based on eSports

Director Mikhail Red is set to begin filming his next film Friendly Fire soon.

• READ MORE: Director Mikhail Red on revenge-thriller ‘Arisaka’: “To survive in a predatory world you must grow fangs”

Per a Variety report, production on Friendly Fire will begin once the director returns to the Philippines from France, where he is currently serving as part of the international jury at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema.

Friendly Fire will be an eSports-based film starring Loisa Andalio and Coleen Garcia. The film will tell the story of Sonya (Garcia), a CEO who wants to elevate local eSports teams and give them space on a global stage. Sonya scouts Hazel (Andalio) and begins training her in the hopes of her taking home a victory.

Mikhail said of Friendly Fire: “It’s not your usual crime thriller that most of my films are, it’s something fresh for me and exciting. I like to think of it as my most wholesome project, because it’s more inspirational and it’s a genre I’ve always wanted to try – the sports movie and the underdog sports story.”

“Esports is becoming quite big, especially in the Philippines, and there’s this stigma and the lack of support. It’s very new and it’s something that a lot of people still don’t understand. It’s just interesting to follow the lives of these esports athletes who are handicapped in terms of resources, support, and even internet speed and lag.”

Friendly Fire has yet to receive a release date.

Last month, it was announced that Mikhail will helm a live-action series based on the Dreamwalker graphic novels by Mikey Sutton and artist Noel Layon. The series has been acquired for a multi-season adaptation, and is set to air sometime in 2024

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