Hollywood is pushing the boundaries of imagination and technology. After ten years at Nu Boyana Film Studios, a subsidiary of Millennium Media (known for hits like The Expendables and Rambo), Gaël Bonnel Sanchez announces the launch of his new, avant-garde production company, Hollywood Influence Studios. And to make a lasting impression, the new entity is embarking on an ambitious project with Above The End, the first feature-length fiction film in history to be partially filmed in the stratosphere, 25 kilometers above our heads.
This technical feat will be achieved through an exclusive partnership with Zephalto, a French aerospace company pioneering luxury stratospheric flights, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. A pressurized capsule, carried by a stratospheric balloon, will take the film crew to this dizzying altitude to capture real images of the Earth's curvature, promising authenticity and visual power never before seen in cinema.
A human drama at the edge of the cosmos
Above The End will immerse viewers in the story of seven passengers – a journalist, a former astronaut, a scientist, an influencer, and a billionaire honeymooner – embarked on a unique journey aboard a luxurious stratospheric balloon. As they are seized by the Overview Effect – this shocking realization while observing Earth from space – the unthinkable happens: a nuclear war breaks out on the blue planet. Their luxurious getaway then turns into a desperate fight for survival, faced with the agonizing question: where to land when Earth may no longer be a refuge? Gaël Bonnel Sanchez insists: it will not be a science fiction film, but a "deeply human epic that could happen today."
An ambitious "3.0 film studio"
Hollywood Influence Studios positions itself as a "3.0 film studio," with a clear philosophy: "Producing only event films, focusing on excellence and cutting-edge technologies [...] while keeping people and creativity at the heart of the process," explains Gaël Bonnel Sanchez. The motto is: "Fewer films, but a stronger impact. Produce less, but with meaning" and "always prioritize quality over quantity". The film will benefit from the latest technological innovations, such as virtual production (LED volumes, Unreal Engine) and artificial intelligence.
The project is already in advanced development and has a projected budget of $25 million. This is considered "modest given the exceptional experience promised," but Hollywood Influence Studios already has major backers: Straife, an elite team specializing in risk management (bringing together former members of the White House, the CIA and the FBI), and Eat 4 Good, a food tech giant founded by Sylvain Bonnet, a long-time partner of the producer.
The film Above The End is expected to enter pre-production soon, with filming scheduled for late 2025 to early 2026. The project is already generating strong international interest, and the studio indicates that it has a certain "luxury" in terms of casting, with several big names having expressed interest, or in financing, with numerous investors and funds approaching.
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