Toronto-based distributor Raven Banner has picked up Canadian rights to Peter Ricq’s debut feature Dead Shack, ScreenDaily reports.
The film centres on three children on a weekend getaway at a run-down cottage in the woods, who must save their hard-partying parents from their predatory cabin neighbour who is intent on feeding her undead family.
The horror dark comedy, which recently wrapped shooting in Vancouver, stars Lauren Holly, Donavon Stinson and Valerie Tian alongside newcomers Mathew Nelson-Mahood, Lizzie Boyd and Gabe LaBelle.
“Even though there’s an overall dark element to horror films, you can’t deny the pure entertainment value of them,” said Ricq. “As a kid, my father showed me contemporary horror and Amblin Entertainment movies that I found myself gravitating towards because of their marriage of horror, comedy and suspense.
“With Dead Shack, I have the opportunity to take an 80’s kid horror flick and turn it into an R-rated movie just like my eight-year-old self always wished it’d be.”
Ricq, who co-wrote the script with Philippe Ivanusic-Vallee and Davila LeBlanc, is also composing an original score forDead Shack with his band, the Juno-nominated Humans.
Amber Ripley of Goodbye Productions and Trilight Entertainment’s Shayne Putzlocher produce Dead Shack, while Sara Shaak and Glenn Paradis serve as executive producers.