ZERO MILE

Every stranger's an enemy, every breath counts, and oxygen is the only commodity. You're either compressing it, stockpiling it, stealing it, killing for it… or you're dead.

The Chase

Hunted for the secret that could save them all.

In a world where oxygen is the ultimate currency, three fugitives race across a dead country to reach the last living thing on Earth.

A Breathless World

Earth's oceans collapsed, killing the phytoplankton that produce most of our breathable air.

Oxygen is now THE commodity — compressed, extracted, stolen, and killed for — stockpiled and traded like gold.

Welcome to the end of a human extinction event.

The Coral Reef

Our last hope.

A Hail Mary plan to seed the planet's only known surviving coral system in the Florida Keys with a newly engineered enzyme may be humanity's sole chance to reignite global oxygen production.

Succeed, and the world breathes again. Fail, and all humanity suffocates.

The Protector

KURT

A promise to a dead brother. Protect the boy. That's the only order that still matters.

The Scientist

ELIZABETH

Blood on her hands and clothes, desperate and on the run. She's got a target on her back, chased by a warlord's mercenaries for a discovery that could change everything.

The Heart

TOMMY

Brilliant yet misunderstood teen with developmental disabilities. He dreams of making a difference. Doing something important. Something that would make his older brother proud.

The Villain

PRINCE

Oxygen cartel warlord. Fueled by greed, he rules with O₂ and fear. Determined to monopolize the last breath of mankind.

The Story

Zero Mile unfolds in a world gasping for air.

Act I

Kurt's isolated existence with Tommy is shattered when Elizabeth arrives, bloodied and on the run. She carries an urgent plan to restore Earth's oxygen by injecting a miracle enzyme into surviving coral.

Act II

The trio embarks on a perilous journey to Mile 0 in the Florida Keys, pursued relentlessly by Prince's forces. Betrayals, dwindling oxygen tanks, and brutal clashes push them to the brink.

Act III

Final standoff at the reef: seed the coral before Prince crushes humanity's last hope. Kurt, Tommy, and Elizabeth must risk everything for Earth's chance to breathe again.

They have one enzyme, one reef, and one chance. He has an army.

Market Position

Mad Max Meets Children of Men

Comparable sci-fi thrillers produced on lean budgets that delivered outsized returns:

MONSTERS

$500K

THE PLATFORM

$2M

PROSPECT

$4M

MOON

$5M

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

$15M

Why Zero Mile Wins

Action Travels

High-octane thriller translates across every market and language without cultural barriers.

Environmental Urgency

A premise ripped from tomorrow's headlines. Climate anxiety is a global conversation.

Found Family

Universal emotional core: strangers become family under impossible pressure.

Distribution Flexibility

Built for theatrical, streaming, and hybrid release strategies.

Projected Returns: 2-3x ROI

The Filmmaker

Thaddeus D. Matula

PONY EXCESS — ESPN 30 FOR 30

Highest-rated documentary premiere in ESPN history. 1.6 Nielsen rating. 2.52 million viewers on premiere night. Peabody Award winner. Emmy Award-winning director.

Two ESPN 30 for 30 features. Extensive credits across narrative and documentary. Work spanning war zones, baseball halls, and Cuban exile communities.

Zero Mile represents Thaddeus's return to scripted films, bringing the same storytelling mastery that made Pony Excess a cultural phenomenon.

KEY TEAM

Larry Waks — Legal / Packaging

Entertainment attorney to A-list talent. Architect of Casamigos & Aviation Gin exits.

King Hollis — Producer

25+ years content creation. ABC, FOX, CW, PBS.

Terri Piñon — Producer

You Can Call Me Bill. Upcoming Kim Novak doc. Development through post.

Theodore D. Matula — Executive Producer

30+ years legal & executive leadership. CLO, Leeward Renewable Energy.

The Opportunity

$5M Total Budget

Louisiana production. 30–40% tax credit. Your $3.5M net investment controls a $5M production. First money back from tax credits in 6–8 months.

Single-Purpose LLC

  • Clean, project-specific entity
  • No cross-collateralization
  • Revenue participation rights only
  • No copyright ownership transfer
  • Clean exit after recoupment

Returns Waterfall

  • 100% Principal Recoupment
  • 15–20% Preferred Return
  • 50/50 Backend Split

Minimum: $150,000

Production

  • Pre-Production: ~3 months
  • Principal Photography: 6–8 weeks
  • Post-Production: ~5 months
  • Total: ~12 months from greenlight

Distribution

  • Festival launch: Sundance, TIFF, SXSW
  • Theatrical or day-and-date release
  • Major streamer deals
  • Cable, international, physical media

Next Steps

Join Zero Mile

$5M

Request the full investment deck, meet the team, and explore how you can help bring this story to life.

THADDEUS D. MATULA

invest@zeromile.film

945.407.7146

Request Investor Package Download Short Deck

Hope in the darkness.