UK Indie Shogun Teams With Trinity Content For Microdrama ‘Swipe!’ Starring Nick Moran

EXCLUSIVE: British indie Shogun Films and local distributor Trinity Content Partners are the latest to enter the microdrama arena with the pair teaming up on crime story Swipe!

Lock Stock and Harry Potter actor Nick Moran is set to play the villain in the project, which heralds from writer-director Paul Knight (24 Hours In London) and producer Jonathan Sothcott (Strippers vs Werewolves).

The synopsis reads: “When a petty corner-shop robbery lands three young men in possession of a mysterious, high-stakes package, they become targets of a ruthless criminal network and the streets of south London become a deadly chessboard.” The aim is to film next spring.

Shogun, whose credits include low-budget Brit crime films such as Renegades and Nemesis, says it plans to shoot a traditional feature version of the story simultaneously. Trinity Content Partners will handle worldwide sales and distribution.

“If the Brit crime genre as we know it started with Lock Stock, it only feels right to embark on something so ground-breaking in this space with Nick as a key part of it,” said producer Sothcott.

Moran has starred in Shogun films including Nemesis, Renegades and the upcoming Knightfall and a new feature project entitled Lionheart also pencilled for next year.

Sothcott added: “The vertical microdrama market is the hottest format in the business right now and as experts in telling high quality genre stories at sensible prices, Shogun Films is incredibly well placed to march into this space and stick a flag in the genre we know so well. The frenetic energy of a punchy British crime film with its natural dramatic highs and lows and big characters suits this format incredibly well and by producing a feature version concurrently we have the perfect platform to introduce British audiences to this exciting new format.”

He continued: “While traditional movies continue to be the heart and soul of our business, we are following our philosophy of doing not talking and jumping straight into this exciting new market. This is a modern, edgy project with a great script and a talented filmmaker. The world we’ll create lends itself to all manner of prequels, sequels and spin offs and we can see these Verticals becoming a robust strand of our business in the long term.”

Andy Taylor, Commercial Director for Trinity Content Partners, explained: “Vertical storytelling is transforming how audiences discover new voices and new worlds, and Swipe! represents exactly the kind of bold, high-energy British genre filmmaking we want to champion. Shogun Films are ahead of the curve in this space, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on a project that pushes both creative and commercial boundaries. With its dual-format approach and a killer team behind it, Swipe! is set to be a standout moment in the rise of vertical drama.”

Shogun says it is also developing a modern vampire story and a police thriller in the vertical microdrama genre.

Swipe! is part of a distribution relationship between Shogun and Trinity that includes Martin Kemp serial killer thriller Doctor Plague, released in January, upcoming horror Harbinger, and The Secret of Guy Fawkes, which is currently in production.