By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

RADiUS-TWC, THE DUPLASS BROTHERS AND BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS JOIN FORCES ON ‘CREEP’ TRILOGY AFTER THE FILM’S FEAR-INDUCING SXSW PREMIERE

DISTRIB TO RELEASE ‘CREEP’ WHILE BLUMHOUSE/DUPLASS GO INTO PRODUCTION ON SECOND AND THIRD INSTALLMENTS

 

(New York, NY) April 7, 2014 – RADiUS-TWC is proud to announce that it has partnered with the Duplass Brothers and Blumhouse Productions on a CREEP trilogy after the film’s highly praised and fear inducing SXSW premiere.  CREEP stars Mark Duplass (SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED) who co-wrote the film with Patrick Brice, making his directorial debut. Produced by Jason Blum (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE PURGE, INSIDIOUS and SINISTER franchises) and Duplass, CREEP is a unique two-man psychological thriller that upends expectations at every turn.  RADiUS is also distributing Duplass’ THE ONE I LOVE which the company acquired out of Sundance and plans to release on August 15.

Synopsis is as follows: “Looking for work, Aaron (Brice) comes across a cryptic online ad: $1,000 for the day. Filming service. Discretion is appreciated.”

Low on cash and full of naiveté he drives to a cabin in a remote mountain town where he meets Josef (Duplass), his cinematic subject for the day. Josef is sincere and the project seems heartfelt, so Aaron begins to film. But as the day goes on, it becomes clear that Josef may not be who he says.

RADiUS, who acquired worldwide rights to the trilogy, is planning to release CREEP later this year.

According to RADiUS co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego: “We jumped at the opportunity to work with Mark again and Jason’s involvement was icing on the cake.   CREEP is wry and unnerving with a shock ending that one has come to expect from Blumhouse.  The film played through the roof at SXSW and it was abundantly clear that audiences have a huge appetite for these characters.”

 

Mark Duplass echoes the sentiment: “I’m a huge fan of the renegade tactics of Blumhouse and RADiUS, and I couldn’t be more psyched to partner with them on this utterly insane new franchise.”

 

Jason Blum goes on to say:  “Mark and Patrick made a smart, fresh and terrifying film and we are excited to partner with RADiUS-TWC on sharing it with audiences while we continue to expand the CREEP world.”

 

Quinn and Janego negotiated the deal with Josh Braun of Submarine.

 

ABOUT RADiUS-TWC

RADiUS-TWC is the boutique label from the Weinstein Company (TWC) and the first studio division dedicated to both multi-platform VOD and theatrical distribution. Utilizing both traditional and digital media, RADiUS-TWC brings the highest quality films and other specialty entertainment to a wider audience than ever before. Founded and led by Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, the label continues to develop innovative distribution strategies to make marquee content available to consumers where, when and how they want it. The label’s inaugural slate included such films as BACHELORETTE (the first multi-platform film to hit #1 on iTunes and the only multi-platform release to ever reach #4 for top Cable VOD performers) and Cannes competition entry ONLY GOD FORGIVES directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling and Kristen Scott Thomas. Recent releases include: Morgan Neville’s Oscar winner 20 FEET FROM STARDOM; Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s LOVELACE; Zachary Heinzerling’s Oscar nominated CUTIE AND THE BOXER (Sundance 2013 U.S. Documentary Directing Award), Jacob Kornbluth’s INEQUALITY FOR ALL (Sundance 2013 U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award); Jonathan Levine’s long awaited horror debut ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE and Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut – MAN OF TAI CHI in which he also stars.  In 2014, RADiUS’ slate features (among others): BLUE RUIN (winner of the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival), Errol Morris’ THE UNKNOWN KNOWN, Mike Myers’ directorial debut – SUPERMENSCH: THE LEGEND OF SHEP GORDON, Alexandre Aja’s HORNS starring Daniel Radcliffe (the latter two which premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival), FED UP from Laurie David and Katie Couric, THE ONE I LOVE starring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass (the latter two which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival) and recently announced Berlin titles: EVERLY (Salma Hayek), WHEN ANIMALS DREAM, and PARADISE LOST (Benicio del Toro).

 

THE DUPLASS BROTHERS

Mark & Jay Duplass have produced numerous award-winning and commercially successful studio and microbudget films over the past decade under their Duplass Brothers Productions banner, including Colin Trevorrow’s Independent Spirit Award-winning SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED (Film District), starring Mark Duplass & Aubrey Plaza.   Upcoming Duplass Brothers films include Craig Johnson’s THE SKELETON TWINS (Roadside Attractions) starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, Charlie McDowell’s THE ONE I LOVE (RADiUS) starring Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss, and Ross Katz’s BROTHER’S KEEPER starring Nick Kroll and Rose Byrne.  The Duplass Brothers’ directorial debut (which they also wrote and produced) was THE PUFFY CHAIR in 2005, which was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, followed by BAGHEAD which played at the 2008 Sundance and Tribeca film festivals, and was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. Their third feature, the Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly dramedy CYRUS, was released in 2010 by Fox Searchlight to great acclaim and one the highest per-screen averages of the year. Their next film, JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and was distributed by Paramount Vantage in 2012. Also in 2012, Mark and Jay re-teamed with Fox Searchlight on the release of their comedy THE DO-DECA-PENTATHLON. Currently the Duplasses are producing, writing and directing TOGETHERNESS, their first television show, which will premiere on HBO in early 2015.

 

ABOUT BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS

Blumhouse Productions, founded by Jason Blum, is a multi-media production company that has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking- producing high-quality micro-budget films for wide release. Since its launch, Blumhouse has produced more than 30 feature films including the highly profitable Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge and Sinister franchises, all of which significantly out-grossed their budgets on opening weekend. Blumhouse’s The Purge, its first production under its first-look deal with Universal Pictures, opened to more than $34 million on its opening weekend with a budget of just $3 million. Insidious: Chapter Two from FilmDistrict, grossed $41.05 million on its opening weekend with just a $5m budget. Blumhouse’s upcoming micro-budget wide releases include Oculus for Relativity, Jessabelle for Lionsgate, The Purge: Anarchy for Universal and Paranormal Activity 5 for Paramount. Blumhouse International oversees foreign sales for Blumhouse’s films. BHI has a worldwide distribution and servicing deal with IM Global. In addition, Blumhouse is working on both scripted and non-scripted television projects. Blumhouse executive produced Stranded for SyFy and The River for ABC, and is also working on projects with HBO and MTV.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

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There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

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My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
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