BPS 224: Blockbuster Producing Techniques In Indie Films With Sunil Perkash

Today on the show we have film producer Sunil Perkash. He's
responsible for blockbuster films like Salt starring Angelina
Jolie, Premonition starring Sandra Bullock, and the Disney classic
Enchanted just to name a few.

Sunil is an independent producer in Hollywood who holds a B.A. in
economics and communications from Stanford University.  He
began his career in 1992 working as the U.S. Production Coordinator
on CRONOS, Guillemo Del Toro's directorial debut.  He
developed a number of projects at various major studios throughout
his career including Second Defense with Arnold Kopelson, Exit Zero
with Renny Harlin at New Line, Second Time Around at Dreamworks,
Suburban Hero with Scott Rudin at Paramount, Al and Gene with Adam
Shankman at Walt Disney Studios, amongst others.

In 1999, he produced  BLAST FROM THE PAST for New Line,
starring Brendon Frasier, Alicia Silverstone, Sissy Spacek and
Christopher Walken. He followed up with  PREMONITION for Sony,
starring Sandy Bullock, which grossed more that 85 million
worldwide.

Next, he produced Disney’s ENCHANTED which became a worldwide mega
blockbuster grossing $340million  and received rave reviews
and numerous awards, including multiple oscar and golden globe
nominations. In 2009, he began principal photography on SALT, a
vehicle originally developed for Tom Cruise, but transformed into a
female lead for Angelina Jolie.  The film also became a
worldwide blockbuster in summer of 2010, grossing $300mil!

The Wrap listed Sunil in their exclusive list "Producers Who Are
Making a Mark on Hollywood" and Fade In Magazine named him one of
the  prestigious ”Top 100 people to know in Hollywood."

He is currently in post production on the big budged DISENCHANTED,
a sequel to ENCHANTED for Disney Plus starring Amy Adams and
Patrick Dempsey. He is also in  preproduction on BACK HOME, a
science fiction thriller to be directed by award winning director
Ivan Mena with ICM on board to represent for festivals/sales.

Perkash is also developing a number of projects including a sequel
to SALT at Sony with producer Lorenzo Dibonaventura, the Western
biopic with award winning director Hughes William Thompson and
Travel Back East written by Enchanted scribe Bill Kelly and to be
directed by Alan Ritchson.

As the film landscape has changed Sunil has changed along with it.
He decided to start producing independent films while he still
worked and developed studio projects.

His latest indie film is Last Survivors.

Last Survivors takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Troy
(Stephen Moyer) raised his now grown son, Jake (Drew Van Acker), in
a perfect wooded utopia thousands of miles away from the decayed
cities. When Troy is severely wounded, Jake is forced to travel to
the outside world to find life-saving medicine. Ordered to kill any
humans he encounters, Jake defies his father by engaging in a
forbidden relationship with a mysterious woman, Henrietta (Alicia
Silverstone). As Jake continues this dangerous affair, Troy will do
anything to get rid of Henrietta and protect the perfect utopia he
created.

We discuss what is was like jumping from $100+ budgets to $1.5
million, how he attaches talent and how he packages his indie films
for investors.

Enjoy my conversation with Sunil Perkash. 

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