*Updated with the official press release.* Well Go USA is looking to give fright fans another holiday horror film to add to their seasonal viewing slate, as the company has acquired North American distribution rights to Better Watch Out, formerly known as Safe Neighborhood.

Press Release: Plano, TX (May 9, 2017) – Well Go USA Entertainment announced its acquisition of all North American rights for Chris Peckover’s BETTER WATCH OUT, a horrifying holiday home invasion tale with a twist.

BETTER WATCH OUT (formerly known as SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD) stars Olivia DeJonge (THE VISIT) as a babysitter who, one snowy night on a quiet suburban street, must defend her twelve-year-old charge (Levi Miller, PAN) from intruders… but quickly learns that this is one extraordinary home invasion that demands an equally extraordinary response. Co-starring Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton, Ed Oxenbould (THE VISIT), Aleks Mikic and Dacre Montgomery (POWER RANGERS), BETTER WATCH OUT will surprise and delight anyone who not only loves a good holiday movie, but also wishes HOME ALONE had a lot more blood in it.

BETTER WATCH OUT will receive a theatrical and digital release on October 6, 2017, with a home video release to follow in time for the holiday season.

“We could not be more excited to be working with Doris and the team at Well Go USA. They recognize the film’s potential for long legs in the marketplace as we expect BETTER WATCH OUT to become a twisted holiday staple for years to come…a crowd-pleasing, high-octane horror-thriller companion to HOME ALONE, GREMLINS and DIE HARD,” said producers Brett Thornquest and Brion Hambel. “Hey genre fans…no pouting or crying this year because you’re gonna find out who’s naughty and nice soon enough. Get your popcorn ready!”

“A film as original as BETTER WATCH OUT doesn’t come along every day,” said Doris Pfardrescher, President and CEO of Well Go USA Entertainment. “Those who are looking for something a little bit different this holiday season are going to be in for one wild ride - and we can’t wait to start the car!”

BETTER WATCH OUT was directed by Chris Peckover and written by Zack Kahn and Peckover from a story by Kahn. The film was produced by Thornquest and Sidonie Abbene of Storm Vision Entertainment and Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions. XYZ Films handled domestic sales. The deal was negotiated by Pfardrescher on behalf of Well Go USA and Nate Bolotin at XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.

Outside of North America, the film’s international sales agent, Versatile, has closed deals in nearly every foreign territory with various marquee distributors, many of which will align with Well Go USA for a 2017 holiday release.

ABOUT WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT
Well Go USA Entertainment (www.wellgousa.com) is a theatrical and home entertainment distribution company that specializes in bringing top content, including the best in Asian cinema, independent and genre films, to audiences worldwide. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go's films can be seen across a variety of platforms, including theaters, On Demand, via DVD and Blu-ray and on Television. Well Go USA Entertainment’s corporate headquarters is in Plano, Texas, with offices in New York and Taiwan.

Recent and upcoming Well Go USA Entertainment releases include Wong Jin’s Chasing the Dragon, Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing, Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan, Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm franchise, Sarah Adina Smith’s Buster’s Mal Heart, and Fabio Guglione and Fabio Resinaro’s Mine.

ABOUT STORM VISION ENTERTAINMENT
Storm Vision Entertainment is a joint venture between production companies, Storm Alley and Eclectik Vision. Storm Alley is the creative brainchild of director Shane Abbess and producer Sidonie Abbene. Shane Abbess has forged a reputation both in Australia and overseas as a highly desirable director following his directorial debut with the international cult smash Gabriel, which has become one of the most commercially successful independent Australian films of all time. Brett Thornquest, producer and production financier jointly owns Eclectik Vision with Steven Matusko. Together, they founded Storm Vision Entertainment in 2013 to finance and co-produce high quality, elevated genre films with emerging and visionary directors. Productions include the recently released INFINI starring Daniel MacPherson, Luke Hemsworth, Luke Ford, Bren Foster, Grace Huang and Dwaine Stevenson and Terminus directed by Marc Furmie and starring Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, Bren Foster and Todd Lasance. The next film to be released is the sci-fi adventure feature The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One starring Kellan Lutz, Daniel MacPherson, Luke Ford, Temuera Morrison, Isabel Lucas, Rachel Griffiths, Bren Foster, Firass Dirani, Dwaine Stevenson and Teagan Croft. Storm Alley and Eclectik Vision jointly produced The Osiris Child in association with Phonetic Images.

ABOUT BEST MEDICINE PRODUCTIONS
Brion Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions are dedicated and driven to produce high quality genre films with fiscally responsible budgets. They continue to seek out smart, character-driven material to develop and produce with talented filmmakers. Best Medicine Productions produced Natural Selection, written and directed by Robbie Pickering and starring Rachael Harris, Matt O’Leary and Jon Gries. Natural Selection was the winner of seven awards at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival (including the Grand Jury and Audience Awards) and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards (Best First Feature for Brion, Paul and Robbie Pickering and Best Female Lead for Rachael Harris). Best Medicine Production’s next feature, Scenic Route, premiered at the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival and was picked up by Vertical Entertainment for distribution soon after. A dramatic survival thriller directed by The Goetz Brothers and written by Kyle Killen (The Beaver), Scenic Route stars Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Safe Haven) and Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Take Me Home Tonight). The film was released in theaters in August 2013.

Previously: According to THR, Well Go USA has scheduled Better Watch Out for an October 6th release in theaters and on digital platforms.

Directed by Chris Peckover from a screenplay he wrote with Zack Kahn, Better Watch Out stars Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Dacre Montgomery, Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton, Ed Oxenbould, and Aleks Mikic.

Set around Christmastime, Better Watch Out follows "a babysitter that must defend her 12 year-old ward... from intruders that have planned an extraordinary home invasion."

Better Watch Out is produced by Thornquest and Sidonie Abbene of Storm Vision Entertainment, with Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions also on board as producers. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates.

Source: THR
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    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.