PROJECTS

SYNOPSIS

In the summer of 1974, the Hawkins family was savagely murdered in their Pocono Mountain home.

Police investigated and everyone was accounted for, except for the youngest of the three Hawkins children, Jane.

Fast forward nearly fifty years. Philadelphians, Andy and Carolyn Stewart, and their three children, enjoy their annual getaway at their new Pocono Mountain summer home. The idyllic surroundings include a beautiful lake and lush forest.

Mike, the oldest of the Stewart children, is a film major at college and an aspiring director. Along with his classmate and close friend, Oscar, his plan is to film a self-penned horror film. Instead, what unfolds is a real life horror that plagues his family, in particular, his young sister, Dani. Dani is the target of Zathina, a witch possessed by ancient demonic force, looking to inhabit her. Andy, Carolyn and Mike do everything in their power to save Dani.

Their vacation soon becomes a nightmare and a struggle against an unspeakable evil.

ZATHINA — AND THE REAL LIFE BACKSTORY

We go to the movies to escape — to laugh, to cry, to scream, to cheer. We all want to feel something. And when the movie is one of those rare breeds that follows you home and lingers for days, playing over and over in your mind, it might be called — a classic.

It isn’t often when the story behind the creation of a film rivals the actual film itself. The backstory of Zathina goes back more than a century. When Greek immigrant Athanasios Alexopoulos arrived at Ellis Island just before the turn of the 20th century, he had no idea what would lie in store in the new world. He would anglicize his name to Thomas Alexander and try to assimilate into the melting pot that was New York City.

After some challenging life lessons, he would move to Philadelphia, and eventually, the small town of Luzerne, Pennsylvania. After work rolling cigars, he became a master chocolatier. He and close friend and business partner, Louis Marinos, purchased a hand cranked movie projector in 1906. Word got out around town that after hours, they would show movies on the wall of a back room of the candy store where they worked. It soon became evident that the movies were just as popular as the candy. Not long after, they built their first nickelodeon, and an 80 year history in cinema began, from small theatres during the silent era to neighborhood cinemas, and finally movie palaces with stereo sound, wide screens, plush carpeting, curtains and grand lobbies. Eventually, Thomas Alexander would marry Marinos’ sister, Zoe. They had a large family. Their four sons followed their father into the movie theatre business.

Then came the grandchildren. Tom Alexander worked at the family’s largest theatre since he was twelve years old and put the key in the door for the final time in February of 1988. He made the transition from being a ticket taker, projectionist and booking the movies to working in radio, writing screenplays and composing soundtracks.

His son, Peter, had an insatiable curiosity for film and dreamed of directing — the fourth Alexander generation connected to cinema — this time on the “other” side of the silver screen.

Zathina, afforded them both the opportunity to collaborate on a screenplay. Both fans of horror — a story was born — inspired by a few actual events that occurred near the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. They co-authored the script, with Peter set to direct and Tom to score.

And yes, there are plans to bring their family’s story to the screen as well.