Michael Matteo Rossi to Wreak VENGEANCE on TV This Winter

 

Writer/director Michael Matteo Rossi, fresh off the success of the recently completed "Sable", is now set to take on the small screen with his original series "Vengeance". The show is a dark thriller set in the world of drug lords and mobsters and a superheroic lead character.

The series stars Youtube sensation Tyrone Magnus (aka The Reactor), who is excited at the prospect of propelling his online fame to a serious television drama. His Youtube channel is dedicated to keep viewers smiling, laughing, learning, healthy and entertained. One show is REACTIONS, where he records extreme reactions to movie trailers and other media. His site grew so much over the course of a year, that Tyrone was interviewed by NBC News about his unique critiques.

See the series official trailer:

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m0l-Pe2TMas

The series also stars Brianna Mazzola (Sable) and Phillip Musumeci (Winners). The production staff includes Tracey E. Bregman, Executive Producer, Nick Antonyan, Producer, Thomas Hale, Co-Producer, Anthony Cally and Seth Metoyer, Associate Producers.

"Vengeance" revolves around Derrick Chambers, a blue-collar worker barely making ends meet to provide for his family - a special needs daughter, a son needing braces and his devoted wife trying to keep it all together. In a desperate move, he becomes a runner for a lethal crime organization dealing in human trafficking. When a job goes wrong, due to Derrick's crisis of conscience, his bosses avenge his BETRAYAL by killing his son, severely beating his wife and kidnapping his daughter. In trying to rescue his daughter, he is captured by the mob bosses, beaten, tortured, and left for dead. They bury his body in a hole filled with toxic waste that not only revives Derrick, but endows him with super powers. Now his mission is clear: Revenge!

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rossi has been involved in writing, producing and directing film projects since he was in college. His first short film "Our Lost Translation", screened at the LA Shorts Fest while he was only 19 years old.. After graduating from San Diego State with a degree in film, he followed up with his second film "The Last Wish" which he directed, produced, and wrote. The film screened at a number of festivals and picked up several awards including the Sierra Nevada Award at the 2012 Mountain Film Awards. In 2013, Michael directed, produced, and wrote the feature "Misogynist", which was awarded best narrative feature at the Los Angeles UNDERGROUND Film Festival.

Executive producer Tracey E. Bregman is an award-winning daytime drama actress (The Young & The Restless, The Bold & the Beautiful) and the star of Rossi's film "Misogynist". She brings a woman's sensibilities to the predominantly masculine cast and crew.

"In this testosterone driven show, it is always important to show all sides," says Bregman with a smile. "As someone who has been involved with dramatic storytelling for years, I bring a different perspective. It is just as important to show the emotional inner workings that drive our protagonist. But our show will be a roller coaster, physically and mentally!"

It took a leap of faith on Rossi's part to cast Tyrone Magnus without knowing if he could even act.

Rossi recalls "Tyrone and I began talking because I had watched his videos on Youtube and loved his energy and charisma, so I decided to reach out to him. After talking for awhile, we realized that we had the same aspirations and goals and I invited him to visit me in LA and we instantly became good friends."

It was during the summer when they began discussing the idea of working together on a project and it formed very organically. Realizing Tyrone has such a great loyal fan base, Rossi wrote a simple trailer for Magnus that was so good, they decided to really do it right and film it. That momentum has since turned into a full pilot they are pitching to various networks including Netflix, AMC, HBO, and others.

"We are shooting for the stars with this show," says Rossi. "We feel that any of the major players would be proud to add "Vengeance" to their family of series."

It does seem that the show has all the hallmarks of a hit series.

"There are fantastical elements to the story, but it's rooted in grit and dark, character-driven themes," says Rossi. "I see this series as a blend of the 1980s RoboCop and The Punisher series, with a bit of Deadpool thrown in as well."

Not a bad recipe for success.

 

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