LOS ANGELES — In a move that underscores the expanding footprint of the 'John Wick' production ecosystem, Badlands, the genre-focused division of Thunder Road, has greenlit a feature titled 'Wildman'. The project represents a significant expansion for the label, which is currently building its identity around high-concept genre storytelling. The film is currently in pre-production, though no release date has been announced.
The Narrative
The screenplay, authored by Jacob Rainer, centers on a Bigfoot who, after hunters kill his younger brother, embarks on a brutal quest to retrieve the body and eliminate those responsible. It is a story of grief transmuting into violence, positioning the cryptid not as a passive myth but as an active agent of vengeance.
Industry Context
Badlands is actively positioning 'Wildman' within the same cinematic lineage as the 'John Wick' series, leveraging the production company’s association with that franchise to court audiences. Carson Reeves is attached as an executive producer, adding industry weight to the project. The timing is strategic: Badlands is simultaneously promoting 'Crawlers', its first feature, which is slated for a release around the Halloween season. This dual-track approach suggests a deliberate strategy to establish Badlands as a reliable outlet for premium genre fare, using 'Wildman' to broaden its appeal beyond the initial 'Crawlers' release.
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