HOPE
Logline
The wife of a morally compromised imperial Inquisitor tries to rescue his soul as the rebel Apostacy and the Holy Empire both secretly plot to kill each other in her own house.
Overview
GENRE: High Fantasy, Noir, Drama
RUNTIME: 25 min (w.o. credit sequence)
STAGE: Development
BUDGET: est. 45.000€
LOCATION PRINCIPLE PHOTOGRAPHY: Lisbon, Portugal
LANGUAGE: English (Subs to other languages)
STORY
HOPE is the wife of Inquisitor ADAL, who is looking forward to his promotion on this fateful night. Secretly supporting a rebel hospital, Hope has assurances from Adal that he will turn a blind eye. But when the Grand Inquisitor FREMONT arrives that evening, the dinner does not quite go as planned. In the aftermath of the encounter, Adal feels that his hand is forced, and he reveals secret information to Fremont, including incriminating details about his wife.
The conversation is listened to, and it activates the rebel "Apostacy" who were planted in the house.
Few will survive the night.
To receive the script, please fill in the NDA below or request the document at contact@soul-atlas.com
PROJECT DETAILS
Note: We value your time. No generative AI was used for the creation of any of the texts, music, images, or videos. We don't ask you to review that which we did not bother to create.
Zoom into the individual creators to read bio.
Jonas David Portugal
Director, Executive Producer, Screenplay
After 15 years of writing, time as actor and 50 written & directed short films, Jonas had enough and finally returned back to the reason for why he came into the biz: Lord of the Rings & Star Wars-like fantasy. Hoping to one day claim the title “King of Nerds”, he works diligently to shizzle a 21st century mythology out of the collective unconscious.
Cinthia Varela Argentina
Screenplay
After joining the team mid of 2024 as a seasoned writer with feature & short film experience as well as jungian mythology knowledge under her belt, she became entangled in the “Hope” script development process. Despite the screenplay being supposedly production ready, her remarks were of such quality that she soon earner herself the writer credit and helped refine many scenes.
Sofiia Sarantseva Ireland
Producer
Jonas found Sofiia after a producer friend told him about a young woman who - starting immediately after stepping up (3 weeks before the shoot) - organized not just a full shoot but tripple contingencies for transport, crew and equipment (low/no budget, by the way). After meeting her, he was 100% certain: She had to lead the production of Soul Atlas' next movie.
Joana Rosa Portugal
Producer
Joana has multiple shortfilms, commercials and similar multimedia projects under her belt. She was production assistant for a TV show in Lisbon but more importantly she knows her way around: From making lists of ALL local production companies (more than you'd think) to knowing multiple rentals & much crew, she is a "fish in water" producing in her hometown of Lisboa.
Jay Fenton Australia
Executive Producer, VFX Producer
After being main EP of the “Leilani” Movie, acclaimed serial entrepreneur Jay has decided to bring his deep technical expertise to bear as VFX Producer. This is the man who on his second set ever invented an entirely new matchmove technique using Lidar and a Refcam rig. Aside from learning ZBrush in two months, he also runs Dear Muse Group Japan amongst other engagements.
Robin Henkel Germany
Director of Photography
A decade ago Robin was DoP on Jonas’ first film. That hellish experience was a bonding moment, synchronizing creative visions until this day. Robin went on to become a prolific professional Electric (Netflix, Leonine, X-Filme) and worked on Indi productions in various roles incl. Best Boy, Gaffer, AC, Cam Op and DoP. After collaborating on “Leilani” it was clear: Robin would have to make a return for “Hope”. Alea iacta est.
Tiago Loureiro Portugal
Production Designer
Almost five years ago he became part of the founding team and has ever since been an absolute key in the success of the Soul Atlas IP, running and structuring the 50+ members art department at Soul Atlas. Bringing with him an art education from the prestigious FBAUL Lisboa, he elevates the artistic side of any project. We also honor him as the most prolific contributor to our Soul Atlas Team Meme & Sticker Library.
Ilka Selmecy Spain
Prop Master
Ilka’s amazing track record regularly overshadows us all and annoys us as we would like to put her first in the team list for that reason. The projects she built props and miniature sets for speak for themselves: Shadow&Bone, Dune, Poor Things (congrats on that Oscar). After collaborating with her on “Leilani” we are lucky to have her collab with us yet again. <3
Alexandre de Sousa Portugal
1st Assistant Director
"Class A" Nerd Alex is not just the Head of Games at Soul Atlas. He is also a prolific 1st AD with many years spent in the portuguese film and tv industry. He GMs, he enjoys his Warhammer tournaments but when he comes to set he means business. With great knowledge of the local industry, he will shepherd this production. Strength and Honor!
Tiago da Cruz Portugal
Fight Choreographer
It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardner in a war. War being absent in Portugal, Tiago is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. But he is also a swordmaster with decades of experience, being taught by the best. Despite his packed schedule with TV Shows, Films, Medieval Shows, Opera and Theater choreographies he is doing this with us!
Silas Meyer Germany
Composer
After studying music, Silas joined our Soul Atlas composer team right after Till (Music Lead) started putting together a crew. Ever since he has been without a doubt one of our most reliable team members. Aside from his own prolific work, he has tracks on five of Soul Atlas' spotify albums/EPs, including the Anomaly Symphony Soundtrack that was recorded with the HKO Orchestra & Choir in Spring 2025.
Akshay Baheti India
Post Production Sound Supervisor
Having already created iconic sounds for the Radiant Magic in "Leilani", Akshay is returning to "Hope" as Lead of the Sound Post Production to continue designing the complementary Shadow Magic. He brings experience from the famous Berklee Sound Academy in Spain and has many dozen recordings under his belt including music albums, webseries, films, audiobooks and orchestral music. Ever reliable he's been with Soul Atlas for 3 years now.
Simon Klocke Germany
Script Supervisor
Having done script continuity on prior films of ours it is always a pleasure working with Simon as the Script Supervisor. Nothing escapes his eyes, the editor reports are always clean, the script lined, the props, angles and set consistent. He even found the time during "Leilani" to help the props team fix the lantern when it broke ... outside ... during the rain ... and the cold ... at night ... sorry - got caught up in a memory there.
Sarah Byrne Ireland
Art Producer
She joined as one of our Art Producers in the very beginning of 2026 (talking 1st week of January here). Immediately one our best discoveries of the year! She's been a revelation, running the department like clockwork and making sure that everything that was planned, happened. She also oversaw the overhaul of our databases and the trippling of the department's size in a single month (50+ members now).
Roland Brown United States
Art Director
Hailing from the strange foreign city of "New York" he has been working on Illustration and Concept Art for decades now. From precise sketching and development for industry & architecture to comic art to TTRPG illustrations he has done it all. He will be working with Tiago, guiding our fantastic artists (who've worked on IPs like Dune, Dead by Daylight, Conan) to create awesome concepts for our film.
Shokoufeh Italy
Chief Marketing Officer
Having worked with campaigns, commercials and media, merchandise and marketing strategy at multiple major fashion brands (incl. Versace), she is very well versed in "demand creation" marketing. Starting as Head of Video Production, she proved her valor during the Anomaly campaign and was afterwards moved up to Chief Marketing Officer. She'll contribute another 40 spears from her team to the effort.
Jeannely Iriarte Georgia
Documentary Director
Since the beginning 2025 Jeannely is working on the development of an ongoing Soul Atlas Behind the Scenes series. With first entries about the Soul Atlas Anomaly and Overview already released, her team is growing stronger every month and gearing up to cover the entirety of the "Hope" production. She brings with her her background in motion picture works, brilliant communication and great love for dogs (cats are okay also - más o menos).
"AJ" Abdullah Al-Jauni Germany
Chief Operating Officer
After his long tenure at AWS, AJ is quite ready for another adventure! (Anybody got the LOTR reference?) Stepping up and taking over for Sabahat Khan, he has already within the last few months proven his grit, pushing forward the MSA, Holding Company Incorporation and building of the Legal Team of our 5 lawyers (3x company, 2x IP law). He will be the one structuring the investment deal.
BOARD
Below you can see an extract from our first Cinematography Collection we built on Shotdeck. Focusing on hard lines, strong shadows, and strong contrasts, we are hoping to evoke a strong, trapping atmosphere. Paired with precise camera motion and longer shots with multiple blocking changes before cuts we think that we can create a cinematographic experience that will put the viewer on the edge of their seats.
MOOD TRACKLISTS
BY SOUL ATLAS: A selection from our prior work that examplifies the mood of this new film:
Below you find three playlists each showcasing one of the three core modalities: Empire, Hope, and Darkness.
EMPIRE: Power built on trust in the Imperial Truth, on unshakable loyalty to a cause that serves the faithful and condemns the heretics. Long live the sons of Shadowmaster Alterbrecht.
HOPE: She hoped that she could save more than just herself. In the face of the most difficult of odds hope is an act of bravery.
DARKNESS: Together with our Hope we observe the evolving drama, fearing for what is to come as the Shadows close in.
SUCCESSION
For its use of dark tetrad personality types, its subtle dialog and its absolutely incredible actor directing and casting.
PARASITE
For its brilliant character writing, its set up of difficult social situations with various character relationships that drive suspense and its stoic camera movements and clean framing.
ARCANE
For its set-up/pay-off density, its emotional impact through empathy, and its ability to twist the story on magic systems, creating suspense through a lack of framing reference. Also, we are live action, but there are some excellent compositions to inspire our work in this show.
ANDOR
For its layered and realistic portrayal of corrupt government institutions, for deep research on the worldbuilding side, and the specificity that comes with that leading to immersion. For its noir visual style and controlled camerawork (this is also true with Rogue One). For its closeness to the protagonist despite fantasy frequently feeling disconnected or shallow.
DUNE
For its sensory evocativeness, its elegant camera work, its carefully crafted character arcs, and its visual concepts (our Catracut architecture style has similarities).
The script was conceptualized as a part of the "Magician Trilogy" but when one of our writers attempted the project, it soon became clear that it had to justify itself for its own sake as opposed to as an entry into the series alone.
The project lay dormant for a while until I had a conversation with someone close to me in which we discussed gaslighting, narcissistic relationships, and how she had not been able to remove herself from the relationship for years, causing her long-lasting issues. I soon found parallels between gaslighting and propaganda, and the idea started to take shape. Until today, many iterations of the script later and after the amazing Cinthia Varela joined the writing effort, the core idea is still the same: Is it your fault? And if it's not, should you hope for things to improve? Is a monster worth saving? What to do if you still love the beauty in the beast?
I'm a big believer in McKey's idea that stories are equipment for living. Usually, I love to express them more mythologically - and this is not to say this isn't a mythological script. But there certainly is a more cautionary "Eye of Horus" element to this story, which - I hope - will not just lead to much suspense but also food for thought. Note that I have absolutely all intentions to stay in the realm of the archetypical and not slip into any modern-day political topics.
Furthermore, I became enamored with complex relational stories that follow a set of characters that are a small leap away from being the anti-heroes of their own telling. This fits very well with Hope's perceptive nature: We will find that her inability to see the dynamics of her relationship is not necessarily a lack of information (although dramatic irony is used to effect during the 2nd Act) but an insufficiency in her relevance realization.
Whilst these finer nuances are going to affect the film, it is not designed to make it any less "commercial". If anything Succession, Andor, Parasite, Arcane and many other titles make clear that audience currently want - deeply want - more substantial entertainment. Not necessarily entertainment that is hard to follow and needs to be interpreted to be understood and enjoyed but motion pictures that have lingering depth under the surface which can be explored.
BUDGET
Our first draft of the budget which is linked below estimated the total spend at around 26k€. It was based on the Lelaini spending and this will certainly not be enough as we have recently discussed at some length the actual production period (more around 40k€).
The entire project is - like "Leilani" mentioned below - a low/no budget project with financing going straight below the line to equipment rental, logistic costs, crafting materials, etc.
Within the crowdfunding that will tie in with the Leilani launch comes the obligation to redo this budget with more fixed numbers. We are currently in the process of finding the location to be able to calculate transport, accommodation, location rental & material costs for set construction. But the document below should serve as an orientation nonetheless:
TIMELINE
The current timeline foresees the development phase to transition into pre-production around mid-August 2026, granting a total of 6 months to prepare for a late February 2027 shoot. Currently calculated are 10 shooting days of principal photography (two weeks, 5 days each, two days break in-between).
There will also be a requirement for a set construction phase ahead of the shoot, some fight choreography training days, table reads, rehearsals, plus we are considering shooting the TTRPG Oneshot that ties in with the movie at the same location before we bring down the set adding more time to the total.
The pre-production and production may be "televised" as per current plans meaning that there will be twitch, insta, tiktok, youtube, discord livestreams as the production unfolds, bringing audiences to the set and investing them into the making. We will then transition into roughly 8-9 months of post-production and follow up with a 3-4 month launch preparation for an early spring release in 2028.
DEALSTRUCTURE
At the moment, we are looking to fund the film partially through crowdfunding, using "LEILANI" (more in "Tie-in Project: Leilani") as proof and leverage. Our thought currently is to create an investment into escrow that activates if the crowdfunder is successful, combining the funds of both investment and crowdfunding into a full budget. In terms of deal structure, we would consider bringing investors into the mothership holding company via profit share rather than offering a cost-plus or similar arrangement.
contact@soul-atlas.com
or reach out to Jonas via +49 179 2409122
SUMMARY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The setting of this movie is the late medieval high fantasy world "Soul Atlas".
Soul Atlas is a new fantasy universe that a team of over 250 members has been working on for over 4 years. We are currently developing our first films (releasing September 2026), games, comics (releasing May 2026), and more.
This fantasy world, which is comparable to our world, could be considered to be in an advanced medieval era. However, we have a special twist: If you die here, your soul will rise above your body for everyone to see. But not everyone is granted a soul. It is theorized that only those who have used their life to the best of their knowledge and conscience will join their ancestors as a “Radiant Soul”. But what makes a good life, and how can you balance it when you're haunted by dragons, golems, ghosts, and vengeful men?
Currently, we are a team of sound engineers, filmmakers, writers, entrepreneurs, illustrators, designers, composers, and more. Following the example of large franchises such as “Star Wars” and the Lord of the Rings “Middle-earth”, we are currently working on creating a world specifically designed for play and story. We are currently “bootstrapping,” which means that all team members work on the project on a voluntary basis until it begins to pay off financially, in which case the project issues a fee for everyone involved.
CASTODIA & THE HONORDOM EMPIRE
Our story is set in the Honordom Empire, in which a conflict between Apostacy Rebels and Imperial Inquisition rages for decades. How the two factions observe Castodia:
HONOR LOYALIST
"For thousands of years, the bridge to the heavens—the holy Solano—was lost. But then the prophecy of the Golden Warden came true, and the four gods appeared to guide humanity to the sacred land of Castodia: The Goddess of Rays brought forth the priests to safeguard the Imperial Truth; General Hanuzan created the wardens and knights; Shadowmaster Albrecht gave rise to the inquisitors, who walk in shadows to hunt heretics. Lastly, the True Emperor established the Honor of the Service, thereby creating the bureaucrats. Even though the gods are no longer with us, Holy Solano remains the bridge to the realm of the ancestors, and we must protect it."
APOSTACY REBEL
"In the year 996YT, the economy in the center of Atlas collapsed. The Castodian government lost control to radical priests. They demanded the souls of the dead under the pretext of reading "The Truth" from them. Those who opposed them were mocked and soon hunted as heretics. Over the years, the new Honordom religion developed a mythology and secured the full faith of the people.
Only a few resisted the propaganda. Eternally hunted by the Inquisition, they dared to fight for the soul of old Castodia. Whether you believe this story or not, you can use it to your advantage. But beware: a friend of the unholy lives dangerously."
THOUGHTS BY THE CREATOR
I want to recapture the deep excitement I felt when I was younger and I saw LOTR & SW movies and played these games. I couldn’t wait for more, to feel the excitement of the space battles and army charges and sword duals. Furthermore, their mythology and the existential struggle of these characters were deeply meaningful to me. Today, I find it hard to recapture the same awe that I felt then – I know more than I did then – can I capture this excitement for cynics like me?
At its core, the Soul Atlas is not just a mythology (soul of mankind) but one about meaning in life. There is nothing more rewarding than the display of struggle and hardship that people can empathize with, so that it can be transcended, and show that it can be a beautiful life. It is not escapism, it can be true – the humanity of it. I have recently thought a lot about what it all means and have come to the conclusion that I need to make something that survives me, that means something. Soul Atlas is that thing.
ART SNEAKPEEK
LEILANI
"Hope" is not our first rodeo.
Functioning as a proof of concept for the next two short-films we wanted to make ("Hope” and “Amity”) we developed the soon-to-be-released film LEILANI. It sits in a very similar budget range and helped us learn a lot about how to make things happen with this team constellation and these budget constraints.
Story
"One day, a stranger arrived at the Mage Order of the Blossom Compass.
No one at the Order or in all the land knew her. She had come from the faraway Castodia, and however she had managed to flee from such a place, she kept close to her heart. Upon reaching the order, she underwent a trial set forth by the Mage Masters. Seeing that she was good of heart, they made her an apprentice and entrusted her with the safekeeping of an ancestral Soul, sheltered within a lantern made for this purpose. The Mages were delighted by her ambition to make progress and become a Mage Master. Only Makhon Albert, her Master, had doubts about her. Doubts he chose not to reveal."
Key Points
Genre: Fantasy, Coming-of-Age, Adventure
Runtime: 25 min (without credits)
Principle Photography: November 2023
Additional Photography: April 2024
Budget: roughly 25.000€
Shot in: Cologne, Germany
Language: English + Subtitles (German, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Japanese, Chinese)
Stars: Andrea Guo (Maxton Hall, Hausen), Adrian Topol (Fortitude), introducing Lucas Fenton
Planned Release: September 2026 world premiere & online premiere
Framegrabs [Rec 709, Pre-grade, Pre-VFX]
Setfotos [Principle and Additional Photography]
"Hope" will not be living on its own but will tie in (sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly) with other creations from the same IP.
TTRPG ONE SHOT
To be released: 2026
As we will do for “Hope”, we created a TTRPG Oneshot for “Leilani” to engage with the Fantasy community. Featuring one game master and four players, including Diogo Morgado (Son of God, The Killer), we are connecting the storyline of the movie to the one in the game. There will be a total of 3 oneshots (1x adventure, 1x magic school teen mystery, 1x survival - each about 5 hours of playtime) and a free rulebook with the launch of Leilani. Each will be carefully laid out and illustrated, and available entirely for free. Our games department is led by Alexandre Sousa (Head of Games) and Maria Glowacka (Producer).
ORIGINS OF LIGHT
Released: Juli, 2024
Announcing Season 1 of Soul Atlas, the "Origins of Light" Trailer forms the introductory piece to the upcoming films, games, music and more.
Runtime: 3 min
Animation Type: UE5 3D
JOURNEY TO AGAIATAR
Released: August, 2024
Set on the Atlas in between the “Shadow” and “Leilani” short films, this story, captured in the form of an audiobook, music album and animatic, details the story of a soldier called “Cassius”. During his first battle for the Agaiatar Legions, he gets mortally wounded. With the help of his best friend, Amity, they desert the Legion to make their way back to their hometown and Holy City of the Edany Creed “Agaiatar”. But on their way, they do not just face the danger of “The Dukedoms”, the lawless land they have to cross, but also the increasingly dark ruminations of a hero as he inches ever closer to the final test.
Runtime: 4 min
Animation Type: Plate Animation
ANOMALY
The third film of the "Magician Trilogy" called "Amity" (WT), already has a written Symphony called "Anomaly" that was performed by the HKO Orchestra in Germany. An album with the recording, a multicam edit, a two-part short documentary and other assets were launched last year (2025).
HOPE TIE-INS
For Hope, we have planned some direct Tie-Ins (stories with some of the same characters) including:
- 1) A Short Story (8000 words) written by David Gill with audiobook production, cover illustration and soundtrack. It connects to the event of the film.
- 2) Three TTPRG Oneshot that introduces Castodia and connects to the event of the film. We are planning on yet again recording a 5-6 actor, 4-5 hour session. We already have some actors on LOI with a combined 200k reach. This launch will also synchronize with the official Castodia region expansion release for the full version of the game.
- 3) We are considering a detective game. We would scan the sets with photogrammetry and pull them into UE5 to create a cross-platform detective game following or leading up to the movie. We also have some plans with partner companies (LBE type VR) that are not quite ready for conversation just yet.
NARESH'S ADVENTURE
Naresh's Adventure will be a 9-book comic series (45 pages/book) telling the story of Naresh Yatlow, an explorer indentured with the Guild of Explorers. We follow the Almajiris (apprentices) as they get to know him, start wondering about his past, and why the mysterious organisation called "The Circle" wants to get in touch with him. Mixing our love for Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones, this series will be released throughout Season 1. Rather than creating it the usual way and bringing a 4-5 person team to each book, we will be treating these books like a TV show with a full writers' room, worldbuilding team, concept art team with art directors and producers, as well as differentiated production processes and advanced post-processing. This storyline will tie in with "Hope" due to the Honordom Empire attacking Norus and Honordom Knights & Inquisitors appearing as villains. We are currently even considering bringing a character from Hope into 108 and 109.
Current progress: Issue 101 is written, worldbuilt, 50% through concept, 100% through thumbnailing and will start releasing in weekly to monthly segments starting 15th of May 2026. Issues 102, 104, 105, and 107 are written, Issue 103 and 106 are currently being written, Issue 108 and 109 are currently being outlined.
Below: Some concept art for 101
Thank you for taking the time to consider our project! Reach out to us if you have more questions!
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