Following Massive Netflix ‘Play Dead’ Sale, Nocturnal Entertainment Officially Launches

By integrating full financing with state-of-the-art virtual production, producers Keaton Heinrichs and Akiva Nemetsky are slated to show the way to independent filmmakers and streaming service’s hearts by offering more creative control and resources than most companies have the ability to.

While the industry has been buzzing about Netflix’s acquisition of the WWII thriller Play Dead, details have now emerged about the dynamic studio behind the deal.

Nocturnal Entertainment has officially announced its launch, positioning itself as a hybrid financier and production house designed to bridge the gap between independent flexibility and big-budget studio quality.

Led by producers Keaton Heinrichs and Akiva Nemetsky, Nocturnal will look beyond simply making projects in film, TV, commercials and beyond – the company seeks to rewire how they are built and financed.

The Edge in “Full Financing”

The sale of Play Dead to Netflix serves as a case study for Nocturnal’s”finance-first” philosophy. By fully funding the Jaume Collet-Serra thriller, the company bypassed the traditional “development hell” of layers of approvals and conflicting mandates.

“Fully financing gives us control early, which is where most projects either come together or fall apart,” said Heinrichs and Nemetsky.“ We can move quickly, make decisions without layers of approvals, and protect the original vision without having to rework it to fit different mandates – it also changes the conversation with buyers.”

This strategy allowed Nocturnal to protect the creative integrity of the project and crucially informed the deal with Netflix.Instead of selling a logline or a script, Nocturnal presented a completely finished, cinematic asset.This business model created a stronger competitive environment, as buyers were responding to a real film rather than a pre-visualized idea.

Heinrichs and Nemetsky said that while they finance when it makes sense, the above model allows them to develop and package projects tailored to specific services and needs.

“The goal is to choose the right model for each project,” the producers said.

NantStudios & Unreal Engine Fuel Nocturnal’s Tech Revolution

What truly sets Nocturnal apart is its “sister company” relationship with NantStudios. This gives the production house direct access to cutting-edge virtual production infrastructure in both El Segundo and Melbourne.

By utilizing the Unreal Engine for real-time pre-visualization, Nocturnal allows filmmakers to “see” and test their ideas before a single dollar is spent filming. This next-gen, tech-heavy approach offers three distinct advantages including precision budgeting, where shot sequences are planned in advance, ensuring the budget is spent “on screen”; creative certainty, where filmmakers can workshop ambitious ideas within a virtual “safety net”; and speed, offering direct access to soundstages equipped for in-camera VFX and motion control.

“Because we have direct access to that [tech] infrastructure, we’re not building from scratch on every project or waiting in line for resources,” said Heinrichs and Nemetsky. “We can adapt quickly, whether that’s scaling something up or solving a problem mid-production.”

Leveraging an IP Powerhouse

Beyond their tech stack, Nocturnal is securing a massive creative pipeline through a strategic relationship with the Los Angeles Times Media Group (the parent organization of the Los Angeles Times and LA Times Studios).

This partnership grants them access to the company’s deep library of intellectual property, providing a steady stream of real-world stories that are adaptable for audiences in Southern California and globally.

Nocturnal isn’t slowing down to celebrate the Netflix deal. The company has already confirmed that its next major project is set to begin filming this fall at their technologically advanced Melbourne stages.

With the successful sale of Play Dead and a high-tech infrastructure already in place, Nocturnal Entertainment has officially signaled that the “Nocturnal model” – speed, tech and total financial independence – is creating a new standard for the independent marketplace.