EXCLUSIVE: Stephen Lang, who played Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi Avatar, is set to star in V.F.W., an action-horror film with Brawl in Cell Block 99 producer Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk producing for Fangoria. Joe Begos is at the helm, directing from a screenplay by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle. Begos’ Channel 83 Films partner Josh Ethier is also producing.

Slated to go before cameras this month in Dallas, the film is described as The Wild Bunch meets Night of the Living Dead. It follows Fred and his military buddies as they must defend their local VFW post – and an innocent teen – against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. These Vietnam vets have been to hell and back, but this will be the longest night of their lives.

Executive producers are David Gilbery and Charles Dorfman of Media Finance Capital, who have fully financed the picture. Fangoria’s Adam Donaghey, Phil Nobile Jr and Danielle Cox also are serving as EPs, along with Bobby Campbell, Noah Lang, Stephen Lang, Matthew McArdle and Max Brallier.

Lang, who is set to reprise his role in the next four Avatar installments, most recently was seen in Peter Jackson’s Mortal Engines and starred in Screen Gems’ hit horror film Don’t Breathe. He’s repped by Innovative Artists.

Begos’ directorial credits include Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye (both premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto Film Festival) and Bliss. Begos is repped by attorney Wayne Alexander.