By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com
IFC MIDNIGHT TAKES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO FRANCK KHALFOUN’S MANIAC
New York, NY (August 23, 2012) – IFC Midnight announced today that the company is acquiring all North American rights to director Franck Khalfoun’s thriller MANIAC. Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur wrote the screenplay for the film, which stars Elijah Wood, is a remake of William Lustig’s 1980 film of the same title. Thomas Langmann, Aja, Levasseur, and Lustig produced the project with Antoine de Cazotte, Daniel Delume, Andrew W. Garroni, Pavlina Hatoupis, and Alix Taylor executive producing. MANIAC premiered in the Official Selection of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival out of competition.
Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear that she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill. A 21st century Jack the Ripper set in present-day LA, MANIAC is a re-boot of the cult filmconsidered by many to be the most suspenseful slasher movie ever made – an intimate, visually daring, psychologically complex and profoundly horrific trip into the downward spiraling nightmare of a killer and his victims.
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: “Franck Khalfoun and Alexandre Aja have reteamed and are joined by Elijah Wood for a deeply disturbing remake of William Lustig’s classic that will delight genre fans. We can’t wait to bring this to audiences and look forward to working with La Petite Reine and Studio 37 who guided this film into the world.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions and Jeff Deutchman, Director of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films with CAA and Carole Baraton of Wild Bunch on behalf of the filmmakers.
IFC Midnight is a sister label of IFC Films and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
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About IFC MIDNIGHT
Established in 2010 and based in New York City, IFC Midnight is a leading U.S. distributor of genre entertainment including horror, science-fiction, thrillers, erotic art house, action and more. Its unique distribution model makes independent genre films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, reaching nearly 50 million homes. Some of the company’s successes have included Tom Six’s controversial horror film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), Johnnie To’s Hong Kong revenge thriller Vengeance, and James Gunn’s Super starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon. Upcoming IFC Midnight releases include Brandon Cronenberg’s ANTIVIRAL. IFC Midnight is a sister label to Sundance Selects and IFC Films, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
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