Kyle Rankin

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Kyle Rankin
Born (1972-09-13) September 13, 1972
Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Maine
OccupationsScreenwriter, director
Known for
Children3

Kyle Rankin (born September 13, 1972) is an American screenwriter and filmmaker known for directing The Battle of Shaker Heights and Night of the Living Deb. In 2020, his film Run Hide Fight, about a school shooting, was shown at the Venice Film Festival.[1]

Early life and education

Rankin was born in Danbury, Connecticut and attended the University of Maine, where he was the president of the student video club, and was a winner at the Maine Student Film and Video Festival.[2][3] As a college student, Rankin was the star and co-producer, along with Efram Potelle, of a movie called Dorm. The film was originally intended to be a serial for campus TV, but ended up being a campus-murder mystery. The pair convinced their friends to appear in the film, and received donations from campus organizations, which they used to rent out empty dorm rooms as a set. The film took 3½ months to make, and was shown in Maine theaters, and was available to rent from video stores in Maine.[4][5]

Career

Rankin co-directed The Battle of Shaker Heights through the second season of HBO's Project Greenlight.[6] He wrote and directed a movie produced by Icon Productions, called Infestation, starring Chris Marquette, Ray Wise, Brooke Nevin; it was shot in the summer of 2007 in Bulgaria.[7] He created the feature/web-series Nuclear Family, and the indie features Night of the Living Deb and The Witch Files.[2][8] Run Hide Fight was filmed in Red Oak, Texas in the fall of 2019 and stars Isabel May, Thomas Jane, and Radha Mitchell.[9] The film was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2020.[1] The Daily Wire acquired North American rights to the film and it premiered on their subscription platform on January 14, 2021.[10]

In February 2026, it was reported that Rankin reteamed with The Daily Wire to direct an untitled action thriller produced by Bonfire Legend and starring Jonathan Majors.[11] The film is reportedly a standalone sequel to Run Hide Fight titled Run Hide Fight Infidels. However, production was reportedly plagued with several injuries, labor issues, and accidents, with several crew members lobbying to unionize.[12]

Personal life

As of 2020, Rankin lives in Encino, California with his wife and daughters.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. Saperstein, Pat (September 9, 2020). "Venice Entry 'Run Hide Fight' Braves a School Shooter Storyline". Variety Magazine.
  2. "Two new films round out the line-up of the 77th Venice Film Festival". La Biennale di Venezia. August 11, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023.
  3. Kloehn, Steve (July 7, 1994). "Picket line marks conflict offstage". Maine Day. The Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. B1.
  4. Gadberry, Greg (June 4, 1995). "The Spring of Two Old Moviemakers". Audience. Portland Press Herald. Portland, Maine. pp. 1E, 9E. story continued on page 9E
  5. "Dorm: A Maine Made Murder Mystery". Newborn Pictures. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999.
  6. Quiet Earth (March 10, 2010). "Exclusive: Kyle Rankin of Infestation fame is back with the PA Nuclear Family". Quiet Earth. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010.
  7. Harthill, Daniel (July 5, 2009). "Maine filmmaker to premiere 'Infestation'". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. p. B1.
  8. Ellis, Colin (May 4, 2016). "Witches brew, Maine native brings Hollywood home to Portland, Bath, Brunswick". The Portland Forecaster. Vol. 14, no. 18. Portland, Maine. pp. A1: A31.
  9. Singer, Dan (September 19, 2020). "Movie about a school shooting, filmed in Red Oak, hits the Venice Film Festival". Dallas News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023.
  10. Wiseman, Andreas (January 4, 2021). "The Daily Wire Makes First Foray Into Film & TV With School Shooting Movie 'Run Hide Fight'; Right-Wing Site Developing Two TV Series". Deadline Hollywood.
  11. Grater, Tom (February 26, 2026). "Jonathan Majors Makes Movie Comeback In Daily Wire Action Pic Filming This Week In South Carolina". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 26, 2026. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  12. Grater, Tom (April 3, 2026). "Jonathan Majors Fell Through A Window On Daily Wire Action Flick, Leading Crew To Walk Off Set; Producers Say They "Don't Negotiate With Communists"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2026. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  13. Toto, Christian (March 18, 2020). "'Run Hide Fight' Director Shares Film's Amazing Journey". Hollywood in Toto. Retrieved February 13, 2021.