Dead Leaf Productions, an indie film company founded by Glenn Payne, released its first teaser trailer of its newest upcoming project, Driven, on May 14.
Driven, which will star Richard Speight Jr. (Supernatural, Band of Brothers) and Casey Dillard (Genrevolt, The Fall of Henry), is an independent thriller/comedy film that tells the story of Emerson Graham (Dillard), a cab driver who picks up Roger (Speight), a man with a mysterious and paranormal force accompanying him and turning Emerson’s night from one of business into one of survival. As the film’s genre reveals, however, there will also be comedic elements sprinkled within the film’s story to counteract this somber narrative.
This much is established within the teaser trailer, though not much else can truly be taken from it as far as plot goes. According to an interview conducted by Nerds and Beyond this past March, this was done purposefully; Dillard and Payne did not wish to unveil anything further in terms of plot to ensure that viewers get to experience the film’s events first-hand.
The teaser also disclosed an intriguing choice made by Payne for the construction of Driven’s scenes in the context of its story: not only are the events of Driven being condensed to one night, but also around one primary location, which is Emerson’s car. The car is not stationary, and the exterior setting of the film always changes as the two stars travel to a variety of locations, but the story is set around Emerson’s car as a central site. The choice in having the film’s plot concentrated on one singular location may prove to be limiting, or it could make for a far more elaborate and focused story; either way, it will be interesting to see how Payne’s story comes to life with the inclusion of this factor.
Payne, a seasoned jack-of-all-trades when it comes to film-making, has a supporting role of a character named “Jim” within the movie, but aside from acting together, Payne also partnered up with Dillard in the development and creation of the film, with Payne directing the film and Dillard having written the screenplay. Driven was filmed in north Mississippi, where most, if not all, of the talent was acquired for the production of the film. Speight, a television and film veteran as well as a Tennessee native, was brought on to star alongside Dillard for his acting ability to effortlessly switch between comedy to drama genres, as well as the hope that Speight’s fanbase within the Supernatural fandom may extend the outreach of Driven’s exposure.
Below is the synopsis of Driven, courtesy of the of the film’s official website:
“Emerson Graham’s nights as a cab driver are filled with annoyances and inconveniences, but until tonight, never attacks and disappearances. After picking up a mysterious passenger her evening goes from working a job to performing a quest as she must race against the clock to defeat a force of evil. The meter is running.”
Driven is set to be released later this year, but an official date has yet to be announced.
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For more information about Driven’s progress, visit the film’s official website, or follow the official Twitter page.
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