Flynn-Daines Productions, a company formed by director-writer McKay Daines and Utah actor-producer Michael Flynn, recently signed a production deal with Charles Sellier, the CEO of Grizzly Adams Productions, the three announced Tuesday at a Salt Lake City hotel.

"What I want to do is make movies that give people hope," Sellier said.

Flynn said the production company doesn't have any scripts yet, but does have concepts for several "Frank Capra-style" films. The company will rely on Sellier's penchant for market testing to flesh out ideas most likely to appeal to a mass audience.

All three men stressed the movies would appeal to families. "They will reflect the values of Utah," Daines said.

Daines said the $10 million budget will create "hundreds of jobs" in Utah's film industry, which took in $145 million in the last fiscal year. "This is going to change a lot of lives," Daines said.

Utah is an ideal setting for these films, Daines said.

He saw firsthand when directing the romantic drama "The Dance" in Salt Lake City earlier this year that Utah has a wealth of locations and a deep talent pool for both actors and crew.

Flynn said the movies would not be overtly religious, though both Flynn and Sellier have made films with religious themes. Flynn made his producing debut with the 2003 LDS missionary drama "The Best Two Years" - and Daines joked that Flynn is often recognized as Pontius Pilate, after portraying the Roman in a 1992 LDS Church-produced film.

Sellier's company, besides producing the famed "Grizzly Adams" movie and TV series, has struck gold with such titles as "In Search of Noah's Ark," "Ancient Secrets of the Bible" and "Miracles and Other Wonders."

Filming should start around the end of the year, Flynn said.

spmeans@sltrib.com