Simon Rex Comedic Thriller ‘God Bless You, Mr Kopu’ From Filmmaker Alex Liu Begins Principal Photography

Principal photography begins in Auckland, New Zealand next week for Tongan Kiwi debut Director Alex Liu’s comedic thriller GOD BLESS YOU, MR KOPU starring Simon Rex (Red Rocket, Easy’s Waltz), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Predator: Badlands, Red White & Brass) and Grace Palmer (Animal Control, Adrift). Radiant Films boards for international sales with AC Independent, a division of AC Studios, repping North American rights. Umbrella Entertainment will distribute the film in New Zealand and Australia.

Liu’s screenplay for GOD BLESS YOU, MR KOPU won the MGM/Black List open script deal. The story follows Mafu (Schuster-Koloamatangi), a struggling Tongan immigrant who becomes the protege of charming and successful American salesman Marco Cass (Rex). What begins as a dream job soon unravels into a living nightmare as Mafu begins to question the methods of his enigmatic mentor.

The New Zealand/Australian official co-production is produced by Roxi Bull for Velvet Moss and Tania Chambers for Feisty Dame Productions with Velvet Moss’ Emma Slade and Timpson Films’ Ant Timpson as Executive Producers alongside Rex, who will executive produce under his recently launched Crispy Productions, LLC banner. Truant Pictures’ Toby Nalbandian and Gregory Schmidt, Radiant's Mimi Steinbauer and A.C. Neel, Umbrella’s Ari Harrison and Jasmin McSweeney and Sandbox’s Grady Habib, as well as Beatriz Martins also serve as Executive Producers.

"I'm thrilled to work with Alex, Dimitrius, and the entire team on this project to bring this film to life. Alex is a talented filmmaker, I love the script, and I can't wait for global audiences to experience his genius. It's gonna be crispy," added Simon Rex.

The film is produced by Velvet Moss and Feisty Dame Productions in association with the New Zealand Film Commission, Screenwest and Lotterywest and Truant Pictures, and financed with support from Hinterland, Sandbox, the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate and the Western Australian Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects Incentive.

Director Alex Liu said “My aim as a filmmaker has always been to expose audiences to Tongan stories in ways we haven’t seen before. GOD BLESS YOU, MR KOPU is a twisted ride with a Tongan protagonist that wears its genre influence on its sleeve. It is a film I've always dreamed of seeing on the big screen, and I’m very honoured to be the one to make it.”

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