More details on the thriller Kickback

Check out this fascinating document on the upcoming thriller "Kickback," starring Sean Astin, Mischa Barton, Michael Biehn, John Hannah and more. It provides production, main crew and background details on the movie, set to begin filming in Prague, Moscow, Chechnya, London and Canada this fall. The story is based on the life and death of Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya.

Politkovskaya (30 August 1958 – 7 October 2006) was a Russian journalist, writer, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Politkovskaya made her reputation reporting from Chechnya. Her post-1999 articles about conditions in Chechnya were turned into several books;[4] Russian readers' main access to her investigations and publications was through Novaya gazeta, a Russian newspaper known for its often-critical investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs. From 2000 onwards, she received numerous international awards for her work. In 2004, she published a personal account: Putin's Russia. On 7 October 2006 she was shot and killed in the lift of her block of flats, an unsolved murder that continues to attract international attention. Source: Wikipedia

Story synopsis from the production document:

Anna is a reporter investigating the atrocities and injustices of the Second Chechen War. She is an independent woman who does her job with determination and commitment. She lives each day as if there were not enough minutes in the day for what she needs to do in her life. A woman who has lived, but now unsure for how much longer. Working in both camps she uncovers underhand deals and various plots of espionage and counterespionage. Her enemies think they are using her until she becomes a threat for both sides and somebody has her assassinated. 

A Moscow detective, Ivanov, risks his life more than once, to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. As Ivanov retraces Anna's steps, from Moscow, London to Chechnya, he learns about her kind, loving nature yet determination to reveal the truth about the war in her articles and yet she had secrets of her own. The trail leads him into a dangerous web of conspiracy and espionage involving: chemical warfare, an overdue library book, a secret affair, an undetectable gun, a missing daughter,co-ordinated terrorists attacks and the assassination of the Russian President.

Watch an exciting animated storyboard of the opening scene here.

Sean's role in Kickback has not yet been specified.

Sean Astin's filming schedule fills up with Reaching from Above

"Reaching from Above," first reported here a year ago, has been added to Sean Astin's busy summer/fall filming schedule.

A fatal car crash kills Rachel Adam's [Dominque Swain] newly announced fiancé and sends her into a coma. This sends her on a journey to a new reality where weird stuff starts to happen around her. She has to make the ultimate choice. Does she go beyond her new reality or does she come back to her family and friends that love her?

Sean plays Rachel's brother Eric Adams. The movie was written by Ryan Lamaster and will be directed by Monty Miranda. Filming is set to begin in Austin TX on September 2. Like their Facebook page for updates.

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Meanwhile, filming of "The Surface in Milwaukee and on Lake Michigan begins in late July and will continue through August.

Later in September, Sean will take on the role of Jim Kent in Guillermo Del Toro's and Carlton Cuse's highly anticipated pilot of "The Strain." If picked up as expected for a full 13-episode season by FX, filming will continue late fall.

In addition, the international thriller "Kickback" will film in Prague, London and other European locations this winter [updated]. Sean's role in the movie has not yet been described.

Sean Astin joins cast of thriller Kickback

Sean Astin has joined the cast of "Kickback." The thriller, written and directed by Raza Mallal, also stars Mischa Barton, John Hannah, Michael Biehn, Stelio Savante and Noreen Dewulf. It will begin filming in Prague, London and other cities this fall.

Inspired by true events. Anna is a reporter investigating the atrocities and injustices of War, She is an independent woman who does her job with determination and commitment. She lived each day as if there were not enough minutes in the day for what she needed to do in her life. A woman who has lived, but now unsure for how much longer.

Working in both camps she uncovers underhand deals and various plots of espionage and counterespionage.  Her enemies think they are using her until she becomes a threat for both sides and somebody has her assassinated.

A Moscow detective, Ivanov, risks his life more than once, to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. As Ivanov retraces Anna’s steps, from Moscow, London to Bogota and Qatar, he learns about her kind, loving nature yet  determination to reveal the  truth about the war in her articles and yet she had secrets of her own. The  trail leads him  into a dangerous web of conspiracy and espionage involving: chemical warfare, an overdue library book,  a secret affair, an undetectable gun, a missing daughter, co-ordinated  terrorists attacks and the assassination of the  President.

For more information, visit the Kickback web site and follow @KickbackMovie on Twitter.