{"id":8166,"date":"2026-09-28T22:33:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166"},"modified":"2026-09-28T22:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:33:57","slug":"dominic-sessa-headlines-weston-razoulis-sprawling-action-feature-shades-of-paradise-following-production-wrap-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166","title":{"rendered":"Dominic Sessa Headlines Weston Razoulis Sprawling Action Feature Shades of Paradise Following Production Wrap in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The cinematic landscape continues to shift toward bold, auteur-driven genre filmmaking as breakout star Dominic Sessa prepares to lead the upcoming action-drama Shades of Paradise. Written and directed by Weston Razooli, the sprawling feature has officially wrapped production in Spain. The project pairs Sessa\u2014whose meteoric rise began with Alexander Payne\u2019s Academy Award-winning <em>The Holdovers<\/em>\u2014with a filmmaker celebrated for his distinct visual style and tactile approach to storytelling. <\/p>\n<p>Produced by Oscar-nominated producer Andrew Morrison of Kaplan Morrison alongside a vast international coalition of producers and executive producers, <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> promises an immersive theatrical experience. Shot entirely on 2-perf 35mm film by cinematographer Simone D\u2019Arcangelo, known for his evocative work on <em>The Settlers<\/em>, the film blends classical celluloid aesthetics with a high-stakes contemporary narrative. <\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Plot_Cast_and_Production_Scale\" >Plot, Cast, and Production Scale<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Weston_Razooli_and_the_Path_from_Riddle_of_Fire\" >Weston Razooli and the Path from Riddle of Fire<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Dominic_Sessas_Rapidly_Expanding_Filmography\" >Dominic Sessa\u2019s Rapidly Expanding Filmography<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Behind_the_Scenes_Kaplan_Morrisons_Hot_Streak\" >Behind the Scenes: Kaplan Morrison\u2019s Hot Streak<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Financing_and_Executive_Production_Team\" >Financing and Executive Production Team<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/propernews.co\/?p=8166\/#Broader_Implications_and_Industry_Outlook\" >Broader Implications and Industry Outlook<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plot_Cast_and_Production_Scale\"><\/span>Plot, Cast, and Production Scale<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> centers on an intricate and volatile premise: four small-time criminals find themselves plunged headfirst into a sprawling odyssey defined by violence, double-crosses, and shifting loyalties in the wake of a high-stakes jewel heist. Rather than relying purely on conventional Hollywood action tropes, the film is expected to channel Razooli\u2019s signature penchant for gritty realism, handcrafted elements, and atmospheric tension. <\/p>\n<p>Sessa anchors a sprawling, multi-national ensemble cast that includes Jack Dylan Grazer, Naira Lleo, Najwa Nimri, Rojuu, Zack Harrod, Teru Castilla Serrano, Romann Berrux, Rhys Mitchell, and Stanislav Baretsky. The assembly of performers spans American, Spanish, and European talent, hinting at a borderless narrative scope that utilizes the diverse landscapes of Spain as a character in its own right. <\/p>\n<p>The utilization of 2-perf 35mm film underscores the creative team\u2019s commitment to texture and cinematic heritage. In an era dominated by digital capture, shooting on celluloid offers a distinct grain, warmth, and depth that aligns with the tactile ethos Razooli established in his earlier work.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weston_Razooli_and_the_Path_from_Riddle_of_Fire\"><\/span>Weston Razooli and the Path from Riddle of Fire<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For Weston Razooli, <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> represents a major step forward following the critical success of his feature directorial debut, <em>Riddle of Fire<\/em>. That neo-fairy tale action-adventure premiered to enthusiastic audiences at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival within the prestigious Director\u2019s Fortnight section before screening at the Toronto International Film Festival under the Midnight Madness banner. <\/p>\n<p>Razooli\u2019s hands-on approach to filmmaking became legendary during the production of <em>Riddle of Fire<\/em>, where he not only wrote and directed but also acted, edited, and personally designed the costumes and props. While <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> operates on a larger canvas with an extensive ensemble and dedicated crew, it retains the auteur-driven spirit that initially put Razooli on the international map. His transition into a more sprawling, cinematic action odyssey suggests an evolution toward grander narratives without sacrificing his distinct artistic voice.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dominic_Sessas_Rapidly_Expanding_Filmography\"><\/span>Dominic Sessa\u2019s Rapidly Expanding Filmography<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The casting of Dominic Sessa in <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> further solidifies the young actor\u2019s status as one of the most sought-after talents of his generation. Sessa made his feature film debut as Angus Tully in <em>The Holdovers<\/em>, starring alongside Paul Giamatti and Da\u2019Vine Joy Randolph. His nuanced portrayal of a troubled, intelligent prep school student earned him critical acclaim, a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and victories for Best Breakthrough Performance at both the 2024 Critics Choice Awards and the Film Independent Spirit Awards.<\/p>\n<p>Since his breakout, Sessa has maintained a relentless production schedule, booking a diverse array of high-profile projects across major studios and independent banners. He currently stars as a young Anthony Bourdain in the A24 feature <em>Tony<\/em>, directed by Matt Johnson and co-starring Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, and Stavros Halkias. <\/p>\n<p>His recent credits also include Stephanie Laing\u2019s feature film <em>Tow<\/em>, in which he stars opposite Rose Byrne following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Last year, Sessa appeared in Lionsgate\u2019s ensemble thriller <em>Now You See: Now You Don\u2019t<\/em>, sharing the screen with Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Justice Smith, and Ariana Greenblatt. Over the past winter, he starred in Michael Showalter\u2019s Amazon feature <em>Oh. What. Fun.<\/em> opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Chlo\u00eb Grace Moretz. <\/p>\n<p>Represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, and Hansen Jacobson Teller, Sessa has transitioned effortlessly from intimate character dramas to large-scale ensemble pieces and now, high-octane action cinema.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Behind_the_Scenes_Kaplan_Morrisons_Hot_Streak\"><\/span>Behind the Scenes: Kaplan Morrison\u2019s Hot Streak<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The production backing of <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> comes from Kaplan Morrison, the New York-based production company founded by David Kaplan and Andrew Morrison. The company has rapidly built a reputation for supporting bold, director-driven cinema that commands international critical attention and awards consideration. <\/p>\n<p>Kaplan Morrison\u2019s early slate includes Brady Corbet\u2019s Academy Award-nominated epic <em>The Brutalist<\/em>; Mona Fastvold\u2019s <em>The Testament of Ann Lee<\/em>, which earned Amanda Seyfried a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress; and Beth de Araujo\u2019s <em>Josephine<\/em>, which swept the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards at this year\u2019s Sundance Film Festival. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the company recently wrapped production in Los Angeles on David Robert Mitchell\u2019s highly anticipated thriller <em>They Follow<\/em> and is actively producing Brady Corbet\u2019s next major feature. The involvement of Kaplan Morrison\u2014with Andrew Morrison serving as producer and David Kaplan executive producing\u2014lends substantial industry weight to <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em>, signaling confidence in its commercial viability and artistic merit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Financing_and_Executive_Production_Team\"><\/span>Financing and Executive Production Team<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The vast network of executive producers and additional producers reflects the international financing structure required for modern, ambitious independent cinema. Additional producers on <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> include Mark Lampert, Oleg Nodelman, and Michael D\u2019Alto. <\/p>\n<p>The executive producer roster features a deep bench of industry stakeholders: David Kaplan, Elisa Lleras, Alba Barneda, Marta Cruanas, Claude Amadeo, Randal Sandler, Chris Triana, Heather Nodelman, Michael Barasch, Candy Barasch, Jesse Ozeri, Otto Eckstein, Julia Barasch, Samarth Kulkarni, Anastasiya Siro, Marlowe Griffin Lyddon, Jack Chinery, Brendan Lyddon, Magnus Thomassen, Raju Prasad, and Garrett Cayton. Weston Razooli is represented by Range Media Partners and Granderson Des Rochers.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Broader_Implications_and_Industry_Outlook\"><\/span>Broader Implications and Industry Outlook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The completion of production on <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> arrives at a time when audiences and distributors are increasingly hungry for original action cinema that avoids formulaic franchise fatigue. By fusing the gritty, character-driven tension of a classic neo-noir heist with the artistic credibility of 35mm celluloid photography, the creative team is positioning the film to appeal both to arthouse festival crowds and mainstream action enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p>For Dominic Sessa, taking the lead in an international action movie represents a crucial diversification of his burgeoning career, proving his ability to anchor high-stakes genre storytelling alongside established dramatic material. As post-production gets underway, industry watchers will be closely monitoring <em>Shades of Paradise<\/em> as one of the most intriguing independent crossover projects currently in the pipeline, with festival appearances and distribution announcements expected in the coming months.<\/p>\n<!-- RatingBintangAjaib -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The cinematic landscape continues to shift toward bold, auteur-driven genre filmmaking as breakout star Dominic Sessa prepares to lead the upcoming action-drama Shades of Paradise. Written and directed by Weston Razooli, the sprawling feature has officially wrapped production in Spain. The project pairs Sessa\u2014whose meteoric rise began with Alexander Payne\u2019s Academy Award-winning The Holdovers\u2014with a &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[667,4425,191,1318,239,3759,192,193,5835,1098,5832,5830,5834,1744,5833,5831,5836],"class_list":["post-8166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-action","tag-dominic","tag-entertainment","tag-feature","tag-following","tag-headlines","tag-movies","tag-music","tag-paradise","tag-production","tag-razoulis","tag-sessa","tag-shades","tag-spain","tag-sprawling","tag-weston","tag-wrap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propernews.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}