EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Disney exec Brigham Taylor (The Jungle Book, 2016), indie producer Dave Hunter (Nitro Circus: The Movie), former SPC, Samuel Goldwyn and Epix exec Ian Puente and indie producer Tom Goodall have joined forces to launch Utah-based InTension Industries, a production company focused on thrillers and genre projects.
Taylor, a former executive at Disney Motion Pictures, produced the Jon Favreau-directed The Jungle Book and Christopher Robin, and most recently the indie feature Tokyo Cowboy. Puente previously held executive roles at Sony Pictures Classics, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Epix, where he worked across legal, business affairs, and acquisitions on a range of independent and specialty titles.
Hunter is an independent producer known for his work with Halestorm Entertainment and Nitro Circus, where he helped shepherd multiple action-driven projects. Goodall, who has produced and directed a string of shorts and was an assistant on Disney movies including Christopher Robin and Lady and the Tramp, is spearheading the company’s creative development.
The slate includes deep-space sci-fi thriller Sentinel, about an engineer trapped in a drifting escape pod who must uncover who is sabotaging his chances of survival before his oxygen runs out. Steve Zahn (The White Lotus) is attached to star, with Rick Gomez directing following his Tribeca-premiering feature She Dances, which sold to EKKL. Production is slated to begin later this year, targeting a 2027 release.
The company is also packaging a South American adventure thriller Rio Diablo, centred on a band of mercenaries whose mission unravels when they are relentlessly hunted through the jungle by an escaped bull hippo. The project will be directed by Esteban Arango, whose recent features Blast Beat and Ponyboi both played at Sundance. Matt Graham (The Untold History of the United States), is joining as executive producer.
“After years shaping films that resonate with audiences, I’m thrilled to step into this next chapter with such an experienced and well-balanced team,” said Taylor. “Our goal is to champion projects that push boundaries while still delivering the kind of thrilling cinematic experience audiences want to see on the big screen.”
