Zero Contact Explained

Zero Contact
Director:Rick Dugdale
Producer:
  • Peter Toumasis
  • Rick Dugdale
  • Cam Cannon
Starring:
Music:
  • Klas Wahl
  • Anders Niska
Cinematography:Edd Lukas
Editing:Håkan Karlsson
Studio:
Distributor:
  • Vuele (International)
  • Lionsgate (United States)
Runtime:97 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English

Zero Contact is a 2021 American thriller film directed by Rick Dugdale and starring Anthony Hopkins. It was the first feature film to be released via Vuele, a non-fungible token platform.[1] [2]

Zero Contact was released internationally on September 24, 2021,[3] and was released in the United States on May 27, 2022, by Lionsgate.

Production

In May 2020, it was announced Enderby Entertainment would commence production on a thriller titled 92.[4] The film was shot in 17 countries.[5] It was filmed entirely virtually via Zoom and during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.[6] [7] In September 2021, the film's first official trailer officially revealed production details including: Peter Toumasis and Cam Cannon, served as producers alongside Dugdale; Edd Lukas served as cinematographer; and Håkan Karlsson served as editor. It also stated that People in the Park Productions is credited in post-production.[8]

Release

The film was released as an NFT via CurrencyWorks Inc.'s platform Vuele.[9]

In January 2022, it was announced that Lions Gate Entertainment had acquired distribution rights via its subsidiary Grindstone Entertainment, with a scheduled release date in May 2022. Zero Contact was released on May 27, 2022.

Marketing

The first trailer was released online, in September 2021. It notably announced many of the production details on-screen. In May 2021, following Lionsgate's purchase of distribution rights, a new poster and trailer was released alongside the official announcement of the movie's official release date.[10]

Reception

The film has a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews.[11]

Rich Cross of Starburst gave the film a positive review and wrote, "High-concept techno-thriller Zero Contact is the latest mainstream movie determined to make a virtue out of the necessity of the Covid lockdown."[12] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Let’s just say that 'The machine runs on dark matter reactor' is one of the script’s more coherent lines."[13] Dennis Harvey of Variety gave the film a negative review, calling it "a steaming pile of nada."[14]

Future

In January 2022, it was announced that two sequels will be filmed back-to-back. Anthony Hopkins will reprise his role from the first movie, which was filmed remotely via Zoom. Director Rick Dugdale revealed that principal photography had already commenced, with the projects in various degrees of production. The collaborative development with Lionsgate is noted as being the first feature film to be produced on-location in Antarctica. The production crew worked alongside Sebastian Copeland and David Hatcher Childress to ensure safety in the extreme conditions of the frozen Tundra continent. The production will also take place in 14 other geographical locations.[15] [16]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stephanie Prange. Anthony Hopkins Film 'Zero Contact' to Be Released as NFT on Vuele Platform. July 7, 2021. Media Play News. July 31, 2021.
  2. News: Feng. Coco. Anthony Hopkins' sci-fi thriller Zero Contact gets NFT debut on Vuele with 11 blockchain-based tokens. September 16, 2021. South China Morning Post. September 25, 2021.
  3. Web site: Enderby Entertainment's Pandemic Film 'Zero Contact' to Premiere on New NFT Platform Vuele; Watch the Trailer – Update . 8 September 2021 .
  4. Web site: Enderby Entertainment Sets Virtual Production Of Thriller ’92’ Spanning Seven Countries. Deadline Hollywood. May 15, 2020.
  5. News: Ross McLaughlin. New Anthony Hopkins film will be released as NFT. Is it the future in film distribution?. July 22, 2021. CTV News. July 31, 2021.
  6. Web site: Jill Goldsmith. Enderby Entertainment's Pandemic Film 'Zero Contact' To Premiere On New NFT Platform Vuele. July 7, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. July 31, 2021.
  7. Web site: Gabrielle Sanchez. Virtually produced pandemic movie Zero Contact set to premiere on new NFT platform. July 7, 2021. The A.V. Club. July 31, 2021.
  8. Web site: Zero Contact - Official Trailer (2021) Anthony Hopkins. IGN. IGN. September 8, 2021. May 11, 2022.
  9. Web site: Academy Award®-Winning Actor Anthony Hopkins' Newest Thriller ZERO CONTACT to Premiere Exclusively as an NFT on CurrencyWorks' VUELE Platform. July 7, 2021. GlobeNewswire. July 31, 2021.
  10. Web site: Anthony Hopkins Has a Shady Mission For Humanity in the Trailer for 'Zero Contact'. Collider. Massoto, Erick. May 10, 2022. May 11, 2022.
  11. Web site: Zero Contact. Rotten Tomatoes. May 28, 2022.
  12. Cross. Rich. ZERO CONTACT. May 25, 2022. Starburst. May 28, 2022.
  13. Scheck. Frank. Anthony Hopkins in ‘Zero Contact’: Film Review. May 25, 2022. The Hollywood Reporter. May 28, 2022.
  14. Harvey. Dennis. ‘Zero Contact’ Review: The Zoom-Shot Movie Subgenre Dies Yelling. May 26, 2022. Variety. May 28, 2022.
  15. Web site: 'Zero Contact' With Anthony Hopkins Acquired By Lionsgate's Grindstone; Enderby Entertainment Making Sequels – And History – In Antarctica. Deadline. Hayes, Dade. January 14, 2022. May 11, 2022.
  16. Web site: Anthony Hopkins Sequel Reportedly Becomes First Film To Shoot In Antarctica. Screen Rant. Banks, Richard. January 14, 2022. May 11, 2022.