Movies
Scott Derrickson’s Found Footage Gets ‘Sinister’ Title
After hitting box office gold with Paranormal Activity and Insidious, Gaul’s Wild Bunch Distribution has acquired the latest Jason Blum production, helmer Scott Derrickson’s (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still) formerly untitled Sinister, reports Variety. The title was revealed exclusively by Shocktillyoudrop last week.
Repped by IM Global, pic was picked up by Summit Entertainment for domestic distribution earlier this month.
Penned by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, “pic turns on a journalist who discovers film footage revealing why a family was murdered in the house he’s just moved into.”
Sinister is produced by Blum’s Blumhouse banner and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones’ Automatik Entertainment. Production is expected to begin next month.
Wild Bunch Distribution rolled out Paranormal Activity, which grossed e6.52 million ($9.39 million) in France, and “Insidious,” which took $4.12 million.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.