EXCLUSIVE: Prolific character actor David Dastmalchian has today announced the launch of his genre-focused production company, Good Fiend Films, which will look to produce character-driven projects across horror, sci-fi and fantasy for film, television, audio and publishing.
Dastmalchian, who has recently been seen in such blockbusters as Dune and The Suicide Squad, envisions his shingle as a home for stories about complex characters from all walks of life. Good Fiend Films will aim to generate nostalgic, entertaining content that captivates audiences while reminding them they’re not alone in this scary world.
First up on the docket for the company is the horror Late Night with the Devil, starring Dastmalchian as the 1970s late-night talk show host Jack Delroy, on which both the actor and his company hold contributing production credits. The film from writer-directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures will make its world premiere at SXSW in March.
“It’s an exciting time for elevated genres and I am grateful to be entering the marketplace with a strong collection of ideas and projects at various stages of creation,” Dastmalchian told Deadline. “I have been blessed with the good fortune of collaborating with some of the best minds in entertainment and I have learned so much about myself and the craft of storytelling. At this stage in my journey of mental wellness and addiction recovery, I’m honored to be leading Good Fiend Films as we wrestle with tough questions through the entertaining lens of science fiction, horror, and superhero narratives.”
Dastmalchian has also been seen in films like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Bird Box, All Creatures Here Below, A Million Little Pieces, Ant-Man and its 2018 sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, Blade Runner 2049, The Belko Experiment, Chronic and Prisoners, among others. He exec produced, wrote and starred in the 2014 drama Animals from director Collin Schiffli, prior to that writing, producing and starring in the award-winning short, Keen. Notable TV credits include The Flash, MacGyver, Reprisal, Twin Peaks, Gotham and 12 Monkeys.
2023 will be a banner year on the acting front for Dastmalchian, who returns to the MCU on February 17 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He’ll subsequently star opposite Oscar nominee Keira Knightly in the true-crime drama Boston Strangler, bowing on Hulu on March 17.
Projects coming up for the actor in the summer include Amblin’s horror-thriller Last Voyage of the Demeter, with Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham and Aisling Franciosi, which Universal releases on August 11, and 20th’s adaptation of the Stephen King short story “The Boogeyman,” with Sophie Thatcher, Lisa Gaye-Hamilton and Chris Messina, which just recently pivoted from a planned Hulu bow to debut in theaters on June 2.
Dastmalchian will also reunite with Christopher Nolan — the filmmaker who gave him his big break in The Dark Knight — on his anticipated historical drama Oppenheimer, which hits theaters on July 21. He is repped by Atlas Artists and attorney Duncan Hedges at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
