About

Petr Jákl is an entrepreneur and filmmaker born in the Czech Republic. Petr set up a strategic partnership with ZQ Entertainment, the production company run by producer and former CAA agent Ara Keshishian.

ZQ’s first projects include the John Grisham book CALICO JOE which is being adapted by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and starring Clooney.

They are also in partnership with Anonymous Content on the upcoming book THE DEVIL’S PLAYBOOK or a TV series based on fantasy novels written by Stephen R. Donaldson THE CHRONCLES OF THOMAS COVENANT directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, World War Z).

Other projects include the war movie BLACK COTTON STAR with producer Reginald Hudlin (Django), a TV series with Simon Kinbergand Stephen King based on King’s short story OBIT, Susanne Bier’s next film THE BEIRUT SPY, as well as two horror movies and one superhero film from the legendary Stan Lee called CARNIVAL OF KILLERS, SAWBONES, and B-TEAM. Petr is also producing a new film by Sasha Baron Cohen and all development projects of Film Nation (The King’s Speech) whose films received 9 Oscars, 13 Baftas, and 6 Golden Globes.

Petr’s path to filmmaking was not typical. From his childhood in the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia), Petr devoted himself to athletics, and he was a ten-time National Judo Champion of the Czech Republic. He won the Judo World Cup and was twice awarded the bronze medal at the Academic World Championship.

His sports career culminated during the Olympic games in Sydney in 2000, where he represented the Czech Republic in Judo. He later earned a master’s degree from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at Charles University in Prague.

Petr’s journey to entertainment followed his passion for cinema and his love of athletic competition. He worked as an actor and stuntman in both  Czech and American productions. Petr’s entrepreneurial spirit transitioned him into writing, producing, and directing.

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‍His directorial debut KAJINEK (2010, Czech language) which he also wrote and produced, was both a box office and critical success (the highest box office opening weekend in Czech history, the highest-grossing Czech thriller in history).

The film also received accolades at various foreign film festivals, including the Czech Lion for best-supporting actor and the main prize at the Belgium Film Festival in Liege. His horror/thriller GHOUL (2015, English), which he directed, wrote, and also produced, received the main price at Grossmann Fantastic Film festival and is the highest-grossing horror movie in Czech history.

Most recently Petr wrote, produced, and directed the historical action drama MEDIEVAL (2022) starring Ben Foster, Michael Caine, Sophie Lowe,
Til Schweiger, and Matthew Goode.

The film received the main price for the best feature film and male director at Top Film Awards. Petr also produced the drama THE LAST FULL MEASURE, based on a true story and starring Sebastian Stan,
Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Petr Fonda, Ed Harris, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Petr also produced the drama BEST SELLERS starring
Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine, the historical drama AMERICAN TRAITOR starring Al Pacino, the thriller MISFITS starring Pierce Brosnan, the thriller SAVAGE SALVATION starring Robert DeNiro, John Malkovich and Jack Huston, 57 SECONDS starring Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson, the romantic film ONE TRUE LOVES starring Simu Liu and Phillipa Soo, the horror-thriller THE INHABITANT starring Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney  and Leslie Bib, the action thriller LAND OF BAD starring Russel Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, the thriller BLOOD FOR DUST staring Kit Harrington  and Scott McNarry, the action comedy OLD GUY starring Christopher Waltz and Lucy Liu, and the thriller SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL starring  Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman. Petr is alsoproducing, together with Sam Raimi (Spiderman), the horror film DON’T MOVE starring Keshley Asbille  and Finn Witrock, together with Matt Reeves (Batman) the sci-fi horror GOD’S COUNTRY, the thriller FLIGHT RISK directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, and the thriller LOCKED starring Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgard.

Several more films are inpreproduction.