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[Sundance ’12]: ‘Black Rock’ Scores Distribution With LD Entertainment After Bids From Several Suitors
Actor Katie Aselton’s directorial debut, Black Rock, premiered last night as part one the Midnight Titles at the Sundance Film Festival, and it’s already found distribution with LD Entertainment. I’d expect to see it in theaters sometime this year.
Per Deadline, “LD Entertainment is closing a North American distribution deal for Black Rock, the thriller that premiered last night in a midnight screening at The Library. I’ve heard six figures and it’s going to be a theatrical release… I’ve heard several distributors chased this, including Gold Circle, Lionsgate, Magnolia and IFC. ”
Aselton’s husband Mark Duplass (Baghead, Cyrus) wrote the screenplay that “follows what happens when three childhood friends meet for a weekend getaway on an isolated island and discover that they have company.”
Lake Bell (“The League”), Kate Bosworth (Strawdogs, Superman Returns), Jay Paulson (“Happy Town”), Anslem Richardson and Will Bouvier will co-star with Aselton.
“I grew up watching classic suspense films and have long had the idea of making a girl-based thriller where the threat to the characters is very real, and the audience is left with the terrifying thought ‘this could happen to me,” said Aselton earlier this year.
Keep up with all of our Sundance news right here.
We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
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