Barrie M Osborne to produce new fantasy epic Wars Of The Drakons

MUMBAI: Dragons are flying back into the fantasy arena, and this time they have an Oscar-winning producer riding alongside them. Barrie M. Osborne, one of only three producers credited across the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy, is set to produce a new large-scale fantasy adventure, Wars Of The Drakons: The Seer’s Prophecy.

The project, conceived as the first instalment of a potential franchise, is being produced by Osborne alongside Jeanette B. Milio and Jim Milio of Alliance Cinema. Newcomer Carla Romero, who has been developing the original story for more than six months, is writing and producing the film.

Set in the war-torn world of Aerion, the story follows kingdoms battling for power with the help of Drakons, formidable dragon-like creatures with supernatural abilities. At its centre is Kale D’Sar, a legendary warrior and Drakon master whose loyalty to a ruthless king begins to crack after a mysterious Seer reveals a prophecy about the king’s daughter, Princess Kahrie.

The prophecy sets Kahrie on a path to become a great warrior, unite Aerion’s divided kingdoms and eventually bring an end to her father’s brutal Blood Regime. When the king attempts to eliminate his own daughter, Kale becomes part of a conspiracy to save her, forcing him to choose between duty, family and the fate of an entire world.

The story promises a mix of war, forbidden love, betrayal, magic and large-scale Drakon battles, with ancient secrets shaping the battle for Aerion’s future.

For Osborne, the project represents a return to producing after more than a decade. The 82-year-old New Zealand-based filmmaker was most recently an executive producer on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, reuniting with Coppola nearly 50 years after the pair worked together on Apocalypse Now, where Osborne served as production manager.

His producing credits include the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, as well as Face/Off. He has also served as executive producer on projects including The Matrix, The Great Gatsby, The Meg and the live-action Mulan.

Before moving into producing, Osborne worked as a production manager on films and television projects including the James Bond film Octopussy and the series Kojak.

Osborne said the project attracted him because of its combination of fantasy, drama and a collaborative creative team. He added that the production team is considering cast, crew and locations that could give the film the scale its screenplay demands, with the aim of reaching a four-quadrant audience.

For Romero, Wars Of The Drakons is a passion project that has been years in the making. She said the story explores loyalty and the choices that reveal character, while aiming to transport audiences into a world built around wonder, discovery and adventure.

Alliance Cinema’s most recent project was its involvement in financing David Mamet’s return to filmmaking, Speed The Plow, starring Anthony Mackie, Sharon Stone and Ben Mendelsohn.

With Osborne returning to the producing chair and a new fantasy world taking shape, Wars Of The Drakons is positioning itself as a potential new franchise rather than simply another dragon tale.