Looking for to learn more about the real-life creepy clown phenomenon that has swept the nation in recent years? Ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the documentary Wrinkles the Clown has been acquired by Magnet Releasing, with an October 4th theatrical release planned.
Press Release: NEW YORK, NY (AUGUST 27, 2019) – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to WRINKLES THE CLOWN, an unnerving new documentary that seeks to uncover the mystery behind chilling accounts of a nightmarish clown seen terrorizing disobedient children throughout Florida. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (WELCOME TO LEITH) and financed and produced by Topic Studios, WRINKLES THE CLOWN will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully. Until a disheveled old man disguised as a clown slid out from beneath her bed. Afterward, similar videos started appearing online, showing the clown pushing a cart in a parking lot. Waving alongside a busy highway. Holding balloons in front of a suburban home. The unsettling clips, which immediately went viral, launched Wrinkles The Clown to internet infamy. Soon, cryptic stickers with his eerie visage and a phone number were plastered on telephone poles and in bathrooms all over Florida promising to terrify misbehaving children. Over one million voicemails were left.
“Michael has concocted an incredibly unsettling film evocative of urban legend classics like SLENDER MAN and THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “From Pennywise to the Joker, creepy clowns have terrified people for decades. WRINKLES THE CLOWN gives them a reason to fear.”
"Magnet understands that when your kid is acting up, there's only one clown to call,” said Michael Beach Nichols. “I'm incredibly grateful to Topic Studios for helping produce this tantalizingly twisted film and to Magnet for their help in exposing this weird and wild story to the rest of the world."
Directed and co-written by Michael Beach Nichols, WRINKLES THE CLOWN was co-written and edited by Christopher K. Walker. The film is produced by Jennie Bedusa, Jon Lullo, Brendan Walter, Lowell Shapiro and Mike Dill. Executive producers are Michael Bloom, Ryan Heller and Jihan Robinson for Topic Studios, and Abby Davis.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia EVP Dori Begley and Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Magnolia Head of International Sales Lorna Lee Torres and International Sales Manager Marie Zeniter will launch international sales at the Toronto International Film Festival. All international rights are available.
About MAGNET RELEASING
Magnet is the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, specializing in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy and Asian cinema, and the home of genre classics like Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, Takeshi Miike's 13 ASSASSINS, Christopher Smith's BLACK DEATH, Ti West's THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, Andre Ovredal's TROLLHUNTER, Gareth Edward's MONSTERS, Neil Marshall's sword and sandals bloodbath CENTURION, and Tony Jaa's ONG BAK trilogy to name a few. Recent releases include the terrifying V/H/S and ABCS OF DEATH anthologies, Ti West's THE SACRAMENT, Israeli thriller BIG BAD WOLVES, Ben Wheatley’s dystopian thriller HIGH-RISE, Nicolas Pesce’s genre-defying THE EYES OF MY MOTHER, all-female-helmed horror anthology film XX, legendary director Takashi Miike’s 100th film BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, Roxanne Benjamin’s survival thriller BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK, and Swedish sci-fi thriller ANIARA.About MAGNOLIA PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
Magnolia Pictures International is the sales arm of Magnolia Pictures, overseeing a diverse catalog of more than 100 features from Magnolia Pictures and 2929 Productions. Over the years, Magnolia International has worked on the international distribution of many ground-breaking documentaries including RBG, LO AND BEHOLD: REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD, THE WOLFPACK, and IRIS; critically-acclaimed narratives such as LUCKY, TANGERINE, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, and TWO LOVERS; and genre films XX, THE EYES OF MY MOTHER, TROLLHUNTER, and HONEYMOON. 2019 films include Sundance documentaries HAIL SATAN? and THE BRINK, survival thriller BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK and Horror/Western THE WIND.ABOUT TOPIC:
Topic is the entertainment studio and soon to launch streaming service from First Look Media, dedicated to supporting creators at the forefront of culture. From Academy Award® winning films (SPOTLIGHT) to television (LOSERS), and podcasts (MISSING RICHARD SIMMONS and ANTHEM), we explore a wide range of subject matter, both fiction and nonfiction. Projects from Topic Studios include: Julius Onah’s psychologically suspense-filled LUCE, with Neon currently in theaters; Kimberly Reed’s political thriller DARK MONEY with PBS (shortlisted for an Academy Award last year); Richard Rowley’s disturbing documentary 16 SHOTS available on Showtime and Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan’s feature documentary, PAHOKEE, about a group of graduating high school students living in a small, distressed Florida town.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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