Exxodus Pictures is releasing its first full-length feature film April 4, and the downtown Detroit-based film plans to use it launch its business model that will generate multiple revenue streams.
Jinn is a adventure film about an elite class of warriors/monsters (Jinn) who are ancient, supernatural and made of fire. Set in present day Metro Detroit, the Jinn are hunting an automotive designer and his wife who are unknowlingly part of a bigger struggle between men and Jinn. Check out the trailer for the film
here.
Exxodus Pictures shot the movie in southeast Michigan and produced it in its offices in the M@dison Building. The movie will be released in theaters across North America in all major markets.
"Everyone is excited to work for movies when we have them here," says Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, co-founder of
Exxodus Pictures. "When
Batman and
Superman come here everybody wants to work on them. I tell these people its better to own
Batman and
Superman than just work on them."
Ahmad and his partners chose
Jinn as the firm's first movie because the storyline (famous is Islamic folklore) is widely known around the world, except in North America. That serves the dual purpose of being easily accepted to billions of people around world and a fresh storyline for American audiences at time when Hollywood increasingly recycles movies with sequel after sequel.
"This is the right idea for our company at this stage," Ahmad says.
Exxodus Pictures is also planning to merchandise its film in a non-traditional way. People will be able to buy replicas of the car in the movie, a specially designed Camaro called
FireBreather, at car dealerships across the country for $95,000. Ahmad says 16 have been sold so far. Ahmad hopes the success of
Jinn and car sales will help build up enough buzz for a sequel and eventually a trilogy of films.
"We have a bunch of movies in development," Ahmad says. "Even if we have a modest success with
Jinn we hope to start making
Jinn 2 soon."
Exxodus Pictures is five years old and employs 20 people. It has hired 14 people over the last year.
Source: Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, co-founder of Exxodus Pictures
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.