Photos courtesy of Rodin Eckenroth, Chrissy Hampton, Matt Winkelmeye, Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
EXCLUSIVE: The action film stars Peter Jae (Darkness of Man), Josh Kelly (General Hospital), UFC fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith to star in James Cullen Bressack latest film The Workout.
Written by David Josh Lawrence and James Cullen Bressack (also story credit), other cast members include Kristos Andrews (Survive the Game), Augie Duke (Mayans M.C.), Galadriel Stineman (Murder, Anyone?), David Josh Lawrence (Darkness of Man), and BJ Hendricks (Darkness of Man).
The film follows two army rangers set out to create a workout video, but their plans are abruptly halted when a mob hit interrupts their filming. Tragically, one of the rangers loses his wife in the attack, sending him on a relentless mission to take down the mob and anyone who stands in his way.
10 days before his birthday, Bressack’s catalyst for the production, casting, and financing came from a post he made on Instagram. He mentioned that he usually shoots at least one film between his birthdays, but due to industry strikes, his last film was over a year ago – that film was Darkness of Man, which Saban will be releasing in May. After the post gained a lot of attention, a producer provided financing and actors expressed interest in joining the project, leading to a quick production.
The film’s producers are James Cullen Bressack, Jarrett Furst, and Ben Stobber. Executive producers are V Channel’s Mario Niccolo Messina and Valentina Cau with Gregori J. Martin, BJ Hendricks, James Rundquist as co-executive producers.
“As artists a painter paints, a musician makes music, a writer writes, but as filmmakers we have to ask permission to create. It’s time to change that narrative. This film spawned from a necessity to create. We create. We tell stories. We play pretend. I’m excited to take this journey. This is the truest form of collaboration and a community of friends coming together to make something fun. While our industry has had a rough time recently with strikes and a possible strike looming in the future, it’s nice to remind ourselves why we got into film to begin with. To have fun telling stories,” said James Cullen Bressack.
“V Channels was founded with the intent to create a supportive ecosystem for young talents, not only offering financing but also providing visibility for films that, in this new media era, might not otherwise reach a wide audience. When James, having co-produced ten films with V Channels that showcased ten extraordinary talents in 2023, introduced this idea on Instagram, the notion of joining forces felt like a natural step. Having a greatly acclaimed talent like James in the V Channels roster also sends a powerful message to the youth: there is an alternative path in the entertainment industry where artistic freedom and expression are at the forefront,” said EP Mario Niccolo Messina.
James Cullen Bressack is represented by the Gersh Agency, Gallant Management, and Mortimer PR. Peter Jae is represented by Media Artists Group and Rectangle Entertainment, and Josh Kelly is represented by The Rosenzweig Group.
