Less than 24 hours after the world premiere of his buzzy feature debut “River,” writer-director Josh Giuliano already has his next horror movie lined up, TheWrap has learned.
Giuliano’s “Occupant” will be a collaboration between Focus Features (which has acquired worldwide rights), Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Divide/Conquer and Spooky Pictures. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The deal comes one year after the premiere of “Obsession” (another Focus/Blumhouse Atomic Monster collaboration) at last year’s edition of Toronto International Film Festival. It’s also the same day that Curry Barker and Inde Navarrette returned to the festival for an “Obsession” screening and on-stage conversation.
Focus acquired “Obsession” out of TIFF last year, with the film going on to become the highest-grossing festival acquisition of all time at a $512 million global gross. While Giuliano’s “River” already entered TIFF with IFC and Shudder attached for distribution, Focus and Blumhouse Atomic Monster will look to turn the filmmaker’s coming sophomore feature into a horror hit.
“River” opened TIFF’s Midnight Madness section, which last year saw such films as “Obsession” and “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” among its lineup. With all eyes on the section this year to find a prospective runaway hit, Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky told TheWrap ahead of the festival that “River” was the one to watch.
“Josh is going to be a filmmaker that a lot of people are going to want to work with,” Kuplowsky said, praising the film as “one of the most suspenseful slashers I’ve seen in years.”
Audiences seem to agree, with the film scoring positive reviews and receiving a rowdy, cheer-filled reception at its midnight premiere. When leaving TheWrap’s studio the morning after the premiere, Giuliano confirmed that he is “thinking about” making a sequel to “River” in the future.
“River” follows a group of three siblings (two sisters, played by scream queens Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe, and a younger brother, played by Max Mattern) who take to a remote river to spread their father’s ashes. With their boat out of gas, they are soon beset by a serial killer who waits on the shore, leaving them stranded on the water in a fight for survival.
Producers on “Occupant” include Jason Blum for Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Gilreath and Hendricks for Divide/Conquer and Steven Schneider for Spooky Pictures. Executive producers include Sam Zimmerman, Daniel Bekerman, Derek Bishé, Neil Mathieson, Allie Steffler and Jeremy Kulyk.
The film is set up in association with Closer Media. Josh Giuliano is represented by CAA, Kaplan Perrone Entertainment and Marios Rush.
The post Josh Giuliano’s ‘Occupant’ Lands at Focus, Blumhouse Atomic Monster After Buzzy TIFF Debut ‘River’ appeared first on TheWrap.
