US drama Sun Moon and Canadian horror Battle of the Dead to shoot in Taiwan

EXCLUSIVE

Sony label Affirm Films’ romantic drama Sun Moon is expected to shoot in Taiwan from February having been delayed because of Covid.

Directed by Sydney Tooley, Sun Moon tells the story of a young woman left at the altar who retreats to Taiwan on a quest for hope and healing.

Filming will take place at Sun Moon lake, which is in the foothills of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range in Nantou county, near Taichung. 

“We’re currently waiting to get permission to bring in a Sony Pictures crew to complete Sun Moon,” says Luke Cameron, director and DP at Stone Soup Production, who are acting as producers in Taiwan, finding local cast and crew and assisting with locations.

He adds to KFTV: “We had to postpone their [Sony/Affirm’s] original summer shoot due to an outbreak of Covid here, but the borders are starting to open again and it looks like they can enter here (with 14 day quarantine) in early February!”

The top-line cast includes Jason Burkey (Walking Dead), Mackenzie Mauzy (Into the Woods) and Madison McLaughlin (Arrow).

Stone Soup Production is also co-producing a horror film called Battle of the Dead with a Canadian production outfit, which is in pre-production and planned to go into production in Taiwan at the end of 2022.

Scott Weatherall will direct the film, which is an “east meets west action/thriller zombie flick”, according to Cameron.

Shooting will take place in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Kenting in Taiwan.

“We are trying to get the Taipei Film Commission involved, but having to wait until their next funding round, which happens in the first quarter of 2022,” adds Cameron, who’s outfit Stone Soup Production produce films, documentaries and commercial productions.

Taiwan has a long tradition of filmmaking, a variety of incredibly locations and a new incentive aimed at attracting international productions that launched in 2020 and supports up to 30% of either the production budget or global marketing budget of a project.

France based director Rachid Hami is intending to shoot his latest feature For the Country in Taiwan, as are Daniel and Matthew Wolfe with their UK thriller Sapphire, although filming for both was put on hold due to a flare in Covid case numbers earlier this year.

Previously, Austria-based Chinese filmmaker CB Yi’s Austria-France-Taiwan-Belgium co-production, Moneyboys, filmed entirely in Taiwan before the Covid-19 outbreak and accessed the local incentive.

Homepage image: Taipei, Taiwan