A long-lost movie starringMark Hamillis emerging from the vaults later this year.Variety reportsthat the 2013 action-comedyVirtually Heroes, which was an official selection at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, but subsequently failed to find a distributor, has been acquired by distribution company Screen Media.
The film was executive produced by legendary Hollywood bB-movie producer/directorRoger Corman, who is no stranger to unreleased films - Marvel fans may remember hisfamously-unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four movie. A statement by Screen Media describes the picture as “a perfect blend of action and campy, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and will be sure to delight viewers – whether this is their first foray into the world of Roger Corman or fiftieth.”
The film’s premise, which mirrors that of last year’sRyan ReynoldshitFree Guy, centers around two characters in a military video game, à laCall of Duty, who become aware of their virtual nature and attempt to break the endless cycle of their lives by winning love and the game. Helping them in this task is Hamill, playing a wise monk in a role that precedes his turn as an aged Luke Skywalker inStar Wars: The Last Jedi
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Executive producer Corman is responsible for cult classics likeDeath Race 2000,Rock’n’Roll High School, and the originalLittle Shop of Horrors. Famous for consistently delivering films on-time and under-budget, Corman’s eye for talent is also notable, as he often hired up-and-coming young filmmakers to helm his projects;Francis Ford Coppola,Martin Scorsese, andJames Cameronare only a handful of the prominent directors whose careers Corman helped launch. Still only “semi-retired” at age 96, Corman continues to work on new projects.
Virtually Heroeswas directed and produced byGJ Echternkamp, who also wrote and directed Corman’sDeath Race 2050; in addition to Hamill, the movie also starsRobert Baker(Supergirl’s Otis Graves),Brent Chase(Animal Kingdom), andKatie Savoy(Sequestered). Reviews of the movie from its Sundance premiere in 2013 note that it reuses footage from a number of Roger Corman-produced war movies. Thelegendarily budget-minded Cormanis not shy about making use of his vast film library by recycling footage from his past films. Director Peter Bogdanovich’s acclaimed feature debut,Targets, was built around reused clips from theJack Nicholson-Boris Karloffhorror filmThe Terror.
Virtually Heroeswill be released in theaters and digitally in December, with a streaming release on Popcornflix, a Crackle Plus platform, to follow in February 2023.
