New English-language supernatural horror film Amara is currently in development from Netflix’s Troll and 2018’s Tomb Raider director Roar Uthaug, Screen Daily reports today.
The project reunites Uthaug and Troll screenwriter Espen Aukan (Troll 2, Viking Wolf).
Amara is set in Thailand and follows “a group of international backpackers who become entangled in a curse connected to an unsolved death. Blending supernatural mythology with mounting paranoia, the film is inspired by the folklore of Southeast Asia.”
Uthaug described Amara as “a fast, intense horror experience that takes something familiar and comforting – a carefree trip with friends – and turns it into a nightmare”. The filmmaker also added that it’s “a relentless propulsive and globally accessible horror film that keeps audiences on edge from beginning to end.”
While the filmmaker’s recent run of features showcases Uthaug’s style and strong grasp of large-scale spectacle, his early breakout slasher film, Cold Prey, highlights the fast, intense horror experience he describes for his next project. It’s his work here that makes his full return to horror especially exciting.
Amara is produced by Erika North and Nick North of Singapore-based Yeti Entertainment, alongside Claire Willats and Katie Davidson of UK-based Two Magpies Entertainment
Korea’s K-Movie Entertainment is launching sales on Amara at the Cannes market, marking the label’s first English-language film, so stay tuned for more as it arrives.