BPS 224: Blockbuster Producing Techniques In Indie Films With Sunil Perkash

Today on the show we have film producer Sunil Perkash. He's responsible for blockbuster films like Salt starring Angelina Jolie, Premonition starring Sandra Bullock, and the Disney classic Enchanted just to name a few.

Sunil is an independent producer in Hollywood who holds a B.A. in economics and communications from Stanford University. He began his career in 1992 working as the U.S. Production Coordinator on CRONOS, Guillemo Del Toro's directorial debut. He developed a number of projects at various major studios throughout his career including Second Defense with Arnold Kopelson, Exit Zero with Renny Harlin at New Line, Second Time Around at Dreamworks, Suburban Hero with Scott Rudin at Paramount, Al and Gene with Adam Shankman at Walt Disney Studios, amongst others.

In 1999, he produced BLAST FROM THE PAST for New Line, starring Brendon Frasier, Alicia Silverstone, Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken. He followed up with PREMONITION for Sony, starring Sandy Bullock, which grossed more that 85 million worldwide.

Next, he produced Disney’s ENCHANTED which became a worldwide mega blockbuster grossing $340million and received rave reviews and numerous awards, including multiple oscar and golden globe nominations. In 2009, he began principal photography on SALT, a vehicle originally developed for Tom Cruise, but transformed into a female lead for Angelina Jolie. The film also became a worldwide blockbuster in summer of 2010, grossing $300mil!

The Wrap listed Sunil in their exclusive list "Producers Who Are Making a Mark on Hollywood" and Fade In Magazine named him one of the prestigious ”Top 100 people to know in Hollywood."

He is currently in post production on the big budged DISENCHANTED, a sequel to ENCHANTED for Disney Plus starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. He is also in preproduction on BACK HOME, a science fiction thriller to be directed by award winning director Ivan Mena with ICM on board to represent for festivals/sales.

Perkash is also developing a number of projects including a sequel to SALT at Sony with producer Lorenzo Dibonaventura, the Western biopic with award winning director Hughes William Thompson and Travel Back East written by Enchanted scribe Bill Kelly and to be directed by Alan Ritchson.

As the film landscape has changed Sunil has changed along with it. He decided to start producing independent films while he still worked and developed studio projects.

His latest indie film is Last Survivors.

Last Survivors takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Troy (Stephen Moyer) raised his now grown son, Jake (Drew Van Acker), in a perfect wooded utopia thousands of miles away from the decayed cities. When Troy is severely wounded, Jake is forced to travel to the outside world to find life-saving medicine. Ordered to kill any humans he encounters, Jake defies his father by engaging in a forbidden relationship with a mysterious woman, Henrietta (Alicia Silverstone). As Jake continues this dangerous affair, Troy will do anything to get rid of Henrietta and protect the perfect utopia he created.

We discuss what is was like jumping from $100+ budgets to $1.5 million, how he attaches talent and how he packages his indie films for investors.

Enjoy my conversation with Sunil Perkash.

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