A film crew shooting a zombie movie encounters a genuine onslaught of the living dead in the acclaimed horror comedy One Cut of the Dead, which has been acquired by Shudder and will be released on the streaming service in the US and Canada later this year.
Below, we have the full press release with additional details on the acquisition, and in case you missed it, read Nathan Smith's 5-star Fantastic Fest review of One Cut of the Dead.
Press Release: The little, $27,000 indie zombie comedy that became a box office smash in Japan and around the world is finally coming to North America when One Cut of the Dead debuts on Shudder later this year. AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural picked up all rights in the U.S. and Canada to the international hit, which currently holds a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed a staggering $28 million in Japan and $30 million worldwide. Shudder also acquired all rights in Australia and New Zealand, where the service is set to launch later this year.
Shinichiro Ueda’s One Cut of the Dead starts with a film crew shooting a zombie movie who stumble into an actual zombie outbreak—all shot in a single, 37-minute take. From there, the story widens its focus, transforming into a comedic love letter to the spirit of indie filmmaking that conjures up unstoppable ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds. One Cut of the Dead’s wild, crowd-pleasing final 30 minutes reframes everything you thought you saw in an outrageous new light. The film’s cast, mostly non-professionals, is led by Harumi Shuhama, Kazuaki Nagaya, Mao and Takayuki Hamatsu.
Critics have fallen hard for One Cut of the Dead. IndieWire called it “the best zombie comedy since Shaun of the Dead.” Film School Rejects deemed it “not only the best zombie comedy in years, but it’s also the best movie about indie filmmaking in decades.” And Screen Anarchy said “I’ve never seen anything quite like One Cut of the Dead. A sublime, almost religious, experience that reminds me why I love movies.” An English language remake has already been announced.
The deal was negotiated by Shudder’s Emily Gotto and Third Window Films’ Adam Torel, on behalf of producer Koji Ichihashi of Enbu Seminar.
“One Cut of the Dead is pure joy, especially in its final act as all the pieces click into place and the film soars,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto. “It’s exactly the kind of film Shudder members love to discover.”
With One Cut of the Dead, Shudder continues to prove itself as an essential service for both genre fans and cinephiles alike. Recent Shudder Original and Shudder Exclusive films include Mandy, Revenge, Summer of ‘84 and the documentary Horror Noire.
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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 horror, thrillers and the supernatural. 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.
ABOUT THIRD WINDOW FILMS
Third Window Films are one of the leading companies out there in the discovery, production and distribution of independent Japanese cinema worldwide. Third Window Films have been working on One Cut of the Dead since 2017 and were the ones responsible for its international success with over 100 film festivals booked and sold to dozens of territories.
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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