Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: After making his directing debut on the documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Fleiss has made a deal to make his narrative directing debut on an untitled low-budget horror film. He is partnered on the project with Steven Schneider, producer of the Paranormal Activity films and Insidious. Fleiss, whose documentary opens this week, has certainly gained experience in making low-cost/high-gross genre films. He was a producer on Hostel and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and his latest, Shark Night 3D, opens in nine days. Fleiss is also the TV producer behind The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and other reality series. The Fleiss-Schneider film is described to me as a big idea with a low price tag, which seems to be the best way to make genre nowadays. It’s being packaged and will be sold by WME Global to start production by year’s end. Fleiss is also working on a narrative film based on dolphin activist Richard O’Barry. He was the hero of The Cove, the shocking documentary that covertly filmed the carnage in a cove in the small former whaling village of Taijii. Fishermen annually herd thousands of dolphins into the cove, and slaughter them in a frenzy that actually makes the waters run blood red. The film created a global uproar. WME Global will package that film as a follow-up film for Fleiss to direct.