After a very successful festival run, Jenn Wexler's punk slasher The Ranger finds a home at Shudder. It has been officially announced that Shudder acquired the film, with plans for a North American and UK release in 2019. We've included the official press release below and you can learn more by checking out Patrick's festival review and my interview with co-stars Chloë Levine and Jeremy Holm.
New York, NY – Shudder, the leading subscription video on demand service for thriller, suspense and horror, announced today that they have acquired the North American, UK, ANZ and GA rights to acclaimed punk rock slasher THE RANGER. The deal, which was negotiated following the film’s SXSW premiere, was done by Shudder’s Emily Gotto and 79th & Broadway Entertainment’s Andrew van den Houten, on behalf of the production companies Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix.
A wild, neon-colored romp in the spirit of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and CLASS OF 1984, THE RANGER follows a group of young punks who are forced to flee the city to lay low, only to run into a park ranger who shares a mysterious past with one of their own. The film has been lauded for its standout performances from Chloë Levine (THE TRANSFIGURATION, THE OA) as the pink-haired punk with a secret, and Jeremy Holm (HOUSE OF CARDS, MR. ROBOT) as the maniacal ranger, ready to get his hands bloody in defense of the woods. Granit Lahu (THE SINNER), Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler (PUZZLE), Amanda Grace Benitez (SCHOOL OF ROCK), Jeté Laurence (PET SEMATARY) and horror icon Larry Fessenden (HABIT, WE ARE STILL HERE) round out the cast.
THE RANGER marks the directorial debut of Jenn Wexler, a past Shudder Labs master and producer of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winner, MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. A co-production of Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment, THE RANGER was written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, and produced by Andrew van den Houten (BREAKING & EXITING, THE WOMAN), Larry Fessenden (MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL), Ashleigh Snead (THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND), Heather Buckley and Wexler (LIKE ME, DARLING).
Remarked Craig Engler, General Manager of Shudder “Jenn Wexler’s feature debut is a smart, stylish and subversive take on the ‘80s slasher, and we’re delighted to bring it to Shudder members.”
The film, which concluded a limited theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles earlier this month, was a standout hit at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where it world-premiered in the Midnighters section. THE RANGER was selected as opening night film of this year’s FrightFest UK and has been an official selection at festivals around the world, including Fantasia International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, among many others. This month, THE RANGER screened at the Sitges Film Festival and will play Toronto After Dark, before concluding its festival circuit ahead of its eventual Shudder premiere in 2019.
“Shudder is the streaming service of horror fans’ dreams, made by and for people who love the genre,” says Wexler. “THE RANGER is my tribute to punks in horror, and I can’t wait to share it with all of Shudder’s members.”
Fessenden says: “It has been great to see Jenn’s debut flick get so much love during its festival run these last eight months. We’re excited for new fans to experience it on Shudder—in the safety of their own homes!”
“Shudder’s curation is brilliant and their team is passionate about the type of films both Hood River Entertainment and Glass Eye Pix love to make,” says van den Houten. “They are truly the perfect home for Jenn Wexler’s debut film, and we couldn’t be happier to be in partnership on this very special Shudder Exclusive.”
About 79th & Broadway Entertainment
79th & Broadway Entertainment, founded in 2016, is a Los Angeles based film and media company. Specializing in film finance, sales, distribution and corporate consulting, 79th & Broadway Entertainment offers an exclusive group of clients with advisory services in every aspect of development and operations related to motion pictures. Learn more at 79thbroadway.com.
About Glass Eye Pix
Glass Eye Pix (“one of the indie scene’s most productive and longest-running companies” —Filmmaker Magazine) is the fierce independent NYC-based production outfit headed by art-horror auteur Larry Fessenden (the upcoming DEPRAVED, THE LAST WINTER, WENDIGO, HABIT, NBC’s FEAR ITSELF). Fessenden has operated the company since 1985, with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts.
About Hood River Entertainment
Hood River Entertainment, founded by producer Andrew van den Houten, is a Los Angeles-based production company dedicated to producing independent films. Learn more at hoodriverentertainment.com.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ SHUDDER is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of all degrees with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering thrillers, suspense, and horror. SHUDDER’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Germany on most streaming devices for 4.99/month or 49.99/year. To experience SHUDDER commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.
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After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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