Elijah Wood’s SpectreVision and Drafthouse Films teamed up with Rook Films (Sightseers, The Duke of Burgundy) and Timpson Films (The ABCs of Death) to produce The Greasy Strangler (review), the feature directorial debut of British helmer Jim Hosking (The ABCs of Death 2) had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival with a screening also set up at this weekend’s SXSW Film Festival.
Ahead of this weekend’s showing, it was announced that FilmRise has acquired North American distribution rights with a theatrical release set for this fall.
In the film, “The Los Angeles-set tale follows Ronnie, a man who runs a Disco Walking tour along with his browbeaten son, Brayden. When a sexy, alluring woman comes to take the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her attentions. It also signals the appearance of an oily, slimy inhuman maniac who stalks the streets at night and strangles the innocent, soon dubbed ‘The Greasy Strangler.’“
“We are pleased to announce that we have acquired this Sundance standout,” said FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher. “‘The Greasy Strangler’ defies genres and surprises audiences with its originality, and we are confident that fans of the truly bizarre will enjoy what this film has to offer upon its theatrical release this fall.”
Hosking wrote the script with Toby Harvard. SpectreVision’s Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller and Elijah Wood will produce along with Andrew Starke of Rook Films and Ant Timpson of Timpson Films. Kill List, Sightseers, and “Doctor Who” director Ben Wheatley and Drafthouse Films’ Tim League are aboard as executive producers.
Variety first reported the news.
