Feature Film Inspired by 'Bloodhounds, Inc.,' Best-Selling Faith-Based Book Series for Youth, Announced by Producer Marcia Silen

Feature Film Inspired by 'Bloodhounds, Inc.,' Best-Selling Faith-Based Book Series for Youth, Announced by Producer Marcia Silen

Storyline Mixes Terrorist Plot in the U.S. With Christian Youth Fighting the Good Fight on the Home Front

Richard Thomas and Daughter Kendra Starred in Video/DVD Series

LOS ANGELES, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The characters in "Bloodhounds, Inc.," the popular faith-based book series for youth by best-selling author Bill Myers, will come alive in a full-length motion picture for the traditional family values market, announced producer Marcia Silen, who owns the non- publishing rights to the "Bloodhounds, Inc." series. The film is scheduled to begin shooting by the end of the year.

In 2002 Silen successfully produced an award-winning video-DVD series adapted from "Bloodhounds, Inc.," starring Richard Thomas, best known for his signature role as "John Boy" in the perennially syndicated TV series "The Waltons." (Thomas recently was featured in the "Democracy" that completed a successful off-Broadway run last month.) The five-part video-DVD series is still in release.

In the video-DVD series and film, Thomas plays the owner operator/DJ of a cross-over Christian, faith-based music radio station, who is raising his two kids as a widowed single parent. His son and daughter, played by Craig Hauer and Kendra Thomas -- the real-life daughter of Richard Thomas -- run their own detective agency when they're not attending middle school.

In the film, tentatively titled "Bloodhounds, Inc. -- The Movie: Young Citizen Patriots," the brother and sister detective team are now in high school and the harmless hi-jinks they encountered in the video-DVD series have now transformed into a sinister terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device. With the aid of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, the teen sleuths race against time to save their hometown, Midvale, and a good part of the rest of America, from total destruction.

"We began the project with our eyes open that the film's content might be controversial. The idea of broaching domestic terrorism in a youth-oriented, faith-based picture is unprecedented, however the subject is too important to ignore. We felt kids were ready to address the issue in a meaningful way," said Silen.

The film will be produced from an original screenplay by Silen and first- time screenwriter Paul Glenn Cawley, based on the characters created by Myers. Besides the human characters, the series and film include two other "Bloodhounds, Inc." signature characters: "Slobs," the detective agency's canine mascot and "J.E.R.E.M.I.A.H.," a cyber-assistant with attitude.

As part of the storyline, a music concert is held in the kids' hometown, promoted by their DJ father. That plot device offers the potential for cameo and performances by Christian rock bands and other musicians, and Silen is currently negotiating with several recording artists and labels including Randy Travis and INO Records, the Christian music label that is partnered with Epic Records.

A portion of the income from the film and from a planned real-life faith- based music concert to be held in conjunction with the release of the film, will go toward a nonprofit foundation that Silen plans to establish to encourage American youth to learn more about the Middle Eastern culture -- religion, language, history and people. Educational materials, scholarships and symposia are part of the vision.

"Kids in America are woefully unprepared to deal with the realities of today's world. Most know very little about the cultures that are promulgating terrorism," says Silen. "We have the opportunity to make a difference by equipping our kids with the knowledge they'll need as tomorrow's leaders. At the same time, understanding the culture of our perceived enemies is the first step to opening new channels of communication that might eventually diffuse the hatred that leads to terrorist acts."

A 20-year veteran of the film industry, Silen was co-founder of Cineworld Pictures, an independent distributor of genre pictures where she coordinated the release of more than 250 features. In 2001 she formed Global Kid Vid and Film Factory, Inc., to produce children "edutainment" programming.

Source: Marcia Silen

CONTACT: Greg Ptacek of GPA PR, +1-323-660-1935, for Marcia Silen

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