**Updated with official press release** The cult classic Silent Night, Deadly Night is officially being remade, with a genre icon taking on the lead role.Variety reports that filming begins next month, with Steven C. Miller (The Aggression Scale) directing.
Titled Silent Night, the film stars Malcolm McDowell and "tells the story of a local police department's search for the killer Santa Claus terrorizing their remote Midwestern town on Christmas Eve. McDowell will play Sheriff Cooper, a small-town hero ready for some big-time action."
Anchor Bay has acquired North American distribution rights and plans to release Silent Night in time for the holiday season later this year. The original Silent Night, Deadly Night was released in 1984 and there have been four sequels since then: Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987), Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989), Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990), Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991).
Official Press Release: BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Anchor Bay Films has nabbed North American rights to the upcoming feature SILENT NIGHT with Malcolm McDowell set to star. The film will be released theatrically worldwide this holiday season. Steven C. Miller will direct. Today’s deal was announced by Bill Clark, President of Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Written by Jayson Rothwell, Silent Night will be produced by Richard Saperstein, Brian Witten and Shara Kay of The Genre Company and Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal Pictures. Steve Ruff and Thomas M. Kastelz will executive produce and Armen Aghaeian will co-produce. The picture is currently in pre-production with principal photography scheduled to begin later this month.
Project is the first production under Inferno International's recently formed Ember Productions banner which focuses on producing commercial, theatrically-driven genre pictures. Gary Preisler, who heads up the new division, will executive produce and D.J. Gugenheim, who brought the project into the company, will serve as co-producer.
Silent Night is the story of a local police department’s search for the killer Santa Claus terrorizing their remote Midwestern town on Christmas Eve. McDowell will play Sheriff Cooper, a small-town hero ready for some big-time action. Film is a loose remake of the controversial 1984 horror sensation Silent Night, Deadly Night, which went on to spawn four sequels.
Director Steven C. Miller’s latest film, The Aggression Scale, premiered during Midnight Madness at South by Southwest in March. He is represented by United Talent Agency and manager Adam Goldworm of Aperture Entertainment.
Jayson Rothwell, who will also executive produce, is represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and manager Bard Dorros of Anonymous Content. The Order of the Seven, which Rothwell penned for Gunn Films and Walt Disney Studios, is currently in pre-production with Saoirse Ronan attached to star.
Malcolm McDowell is represented by manager Chris Roe of CR Management.
The North American distribution deal was negotiated by Kevin Kasha, Josh Thomashow and Marc Barson for Anchor Bay Films.
About The Genre Company
The Genre Company recently wrapped the Darren Bousman-directed Jersey Devil movie The Barrens starring Stephen Moyer, and is developing a range of projects including a remake of the 1958 sci-fi classic, The Blob, and an adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, Cell. The company was represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in the deal for the underlying rights.
About Inferno International
Inferno International recently produced Joe Carnahan's The Grey which has grossed over 71M world-wide. Next up for Inferno is Andrew Dominik's Brad Pitt starrer Killing Them Softly, which TWC will release on September 21. Inferno is currently in production on The Host based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Pic is scheduled for a March 29, 2013 release.
About Anchor Bay Films
Anchor Bay Films is unique in that it offers the creative community a fully integrated distribution capability on all platforms and an international solution extending beyond the U.S. Anchor Bay Films is a division of Anchor Bay Entertainment and is on the ground providing quality distribution with operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, as well as distribution capabilities in other key territories. The company focuses on a platform release strategy for its films with an eye toward maximizing their potential across all ancillary distribution platforms. Recent releases include Seeking Justice starring Nicolas Cage, January Jones and Guy Pearce which opened on March 18th and Touchback starring Brian Presley which opens on April 13th. Films in its library include the critically-acclaimed comedy City Island starring Andy Garcia and Solitary Man starring Michael Douglas as well as the 2011 releases of Kill the Irishman starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken, Toronto Film Festival award-winner Beautiful Boy with Maria Bello and Michael Sheen and Cannes 2011 premiere Corman’s World. Anchor Bay Entertainment is a subsidiary of Starz Media, LLC which is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation.
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