Sony Pictures Entertainment untitled project is the first to be funded by the stragtegic partnership between Image Nation Abu Dhabi and the China International Communication Center

Los Angeles, May 22, 2017: Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading media and entertainment companies in the Middle East, has come aboard to co-finance and executive produce Sony Pictures Entertainment’s untitled Dan Gilroy & Denzel Washington project (previously known as INNER CITY), starring Washington alongside Colin Farrell.

The project, which is currently shooting on location in Los Angeles, marks the first project to be co-funded through the Culture China – Image Nation Content Fund.  The new fund, announced last November, is a strategic partnership between Image Nation and the China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC) focused on investing in commercial film and television programming from Hollywood, China and other countries worldwide.

Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, commented: “We are very excited to announce the first project from the Culture China – Image Nation Content Fund.  The strategic partnership was established with the CICC who share our commitment to building an industry through quality content and sustainable investment strategies.  This first production is exactly the caliber of entertainment we intend to continue to produce.”

The Untitled Dan Gilroy & Denzel Washington Project tells the story of Los Angeles attorney Roman Israel (Washington) who is offered a job at a prestigious law firm after the death of his longtime partner, and takes on a case that has life-altering repercussions.

Gilroy wrote the screenplay and is directing the project which is being produced by Jennifer Fox, Todd Black and Brian Oliver.  Image Nation and CICC are co-financing and will serve as executive producers.  As previously announced, Cross Creek Pictures and Macro are also co-financing the project alongside Image Nation.  (Sony Pictures also continues its ongoing financing relationship with Lone Star Capital.)

Ben Ross, Head of Narrative Film and Television, Image Nation Abu Dhabi: “We are honored to work with some of the biggest names in the industry on our next exciting international project.

“As with all our international projects, this film will help to subsidies and build our local industry here in Abu Dhabi – creating learning opportunities for local talent to work on world-class productions.”

Last week, Image Nation announced a new three-year production pact with prolific producers Roy Lee and Steven Schneider to produce dark genre films.  The company also has existing relationships with longtime partners Ashok Amritraj and his Hyde Park Entertainment shingle, and Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and their Parkes + MacDonald banner.

Image Nation has been ramping up its film and TV production output over the last year, and currently has a number of new titles in the pipeline.  Upcoming projects include BENJI, a modern-day retelling of the original produced by Blumhouse Productions and directed by Brandon Camp, and the horror-thriller PREY, produced by Blumhouse and Amritraj‘s Hyde Park Entertainment.  Image Nation is also producing the narrative television series JUSTICE, a legal drama created by Oscar®-nominee Parkes (HE NAMED ME MALALA, FLIGHT) and Emmy Award®-winning producer Billy Finkelstein (L.A. LAW, NYPD BLUE).